The Roper St. Francis Foundation recently received a transformational commitment of $1 million from the Ronald H. Fielding family of Kiawah Island in honor of the late Donna M. Fielding. This generous, philanthropic gift will enable Roper St. Francis Healthcare (RSFH) to create a comprehensive cancer wellness program to better help patients and their families with the physical, emotional and spiritual needs that often arise when facing this disease. It will be named the Donna Fielding Cancer Wellness Institute in honor of Donna Fielding, who lost her battle with melanoma in 2011.
The formation of the Donna Fielding Cancer Wellness Institute within Roper St. Francis Cancer Care (RSFCC) will put focus on all phases of care, including prevention, treatment and a return to wellness following treatment.
“The Donna Fielding Cancer Wellness Institute will allow seamless coordination of the many needs of cancer patients and their families,” said David Ellison, MD, Charleston Hematology Oncology Associates and Roper St. Francis Cancer Care Medical Director. “This program will also provide a vehicle for people who want to learn more about how wellness can reduce their risks of cancer. We applaud the Fielding family for their recognition and support of this effort to lessen the damage that cancer can cause to ourselves and our loved ones."
Many of the activities within the cancer wellness program will be coordinated by a new wellness navigator, who will guide each cancer patient through their personal battle with cancer. This new cancer wellness navigator will be instrumental in orchestrating many phases of care and support for the more than 2,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients seen at RSFCC annually.
“Our family knows firsthand the difficulties patients and their families face when diagnosed with cancer,” said Ronald H. Fielding. “Donna and I shared a vision of bringing a comprehensive cancer wellness program to Charleston and believed Roper St. Francis Cancer Care was the perfect place to house this program.”
For more information on the Roper St. Francis Foundation, go online to www.rsfhfoundation.org
