Somehow, Ann Olsen’s phone was ringing.
Cell service was always spotty near her cabin in the Sierras. Nestled at about 6,000 feet, unplugging was easy.
But there it was, a vaguely familiar “625” lighting up her iPhone. She answered.
“When I heard her voice,” Olsen says, “it gave me a warm feeling.”
The program, which launched in 2021 with funding from Montage Health Foundation, pairs cancer patients with cancer survivors to provide patients with emotional support, assistance in accessing care, and navigation through the healthcare system.
“I said, ‘Can I think about it for a couple of days?’” recalls Olsen.
This was a somewhat complicated “yes” or “no.” Olsen went through her own breast cancer journey in 2021. And she was asked about becoming a volunteer navigator before, shortly after she finished treatment.
“I was talking to my brother about it,” Olsen says. “He asked me, ‘Do you think you’d ever want to be a navigator?’ And I said, ‘No.’ I think it was just too fresh. And I wasn’t sure I’d be good at it.”
Then Cornish called that late September day in 2023.
After some reflection, “I called her back and said I’d like to try it,” says Olsen, who had her own navigator, Cherie Campbell, in 2021.
“The power of the program is that people feel supported and cared for,” Campbell says. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, I asked if there was a cancer buddy program and there wasn’t. I was in a breast cancer support group, which was very helpful. From that experience, I thought if they ever started a program, I’d be interested.”
They did. And she and Olsen were paired.
“Working with Ann was an honor and very gratifying,” Campbell says. “I feel like I was able to help her through the whole process.”
Campbell and Olsen spoke on the phone weekly, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not able to connect in person until later.
“We met for coffee to celebrate the end of her treatment,” Campbell says. “It was really nice. We knew each other’s voices, but we hadn’t done any FaceTime or anything like that. It was great to see her, and great to see her looking well.”
And when it came time for Olsen to become a navigator, Cornish and Joy Smith, RN, a clinical instructor at Community Hospital, had no doubt she would be just the navigator other cancer patients needed.
“There are certain people who just have maturity and communication skills, they’ve processed their own experience, and they’re capable of being a helper,” Smith says. “Cancer care is complicated. Patients suddenly have all new doctors. Their world explodes. Not to mention the word itself — cancer — is so unnerving. Patients need and deserve someone who can shepherd them through. Our navigators are the thread. They know what’s around the corner. They’re vital.”
Admittedly, being a navigator can resurface difficult emotions, but Olsen and Campbell channel those feelings in ways that help others.
“Every time I work with a patient, there’s a sense of ‘I’m here,’” Campbell says. “Not only am I here, and I’m a survivor, but I’m here for you. I’m available. This is rough, and you’re going to be OK.”
Cancer survivors interested in becoming volunteer navigators can call (831) 625-4753.
