At least once a week, Nancy Hughes drives to her cancer treatment.  Right now, her cancer is under control and she’s holding her own against the disease.  

But if it gets to the point where driving herself is no longer an option, she has a backup plan.

“I know I will use the Road To Recovery program,” she said. “Just knowing that service is available gives me peace of mind.  I cannot imagine what its like for those who need a way to get to treatment and not having transportation or the ability to drive.”

“Road To Recovery” is a program offered by the American Cancer Society of Oklahoma.

It provides transportation to and from treatment for people with cancer who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves.

“I saw one of the American Cancer Society vans in my neighborhood giving one of my neighbors a ride,” Hughes said. “If folks knew they had transportation they could count on, it reduces stress a bit. Without that option, people would have to make difficult choices over when to get treatment or just stop. It could be life-saving.”

One of the greatest barriers cancer patients face on their journey is access to care. Unfortunately, not everyone going through a cancer diagnosis always has a ride or mode of transportation to get to their doctor appointments and lifesaving treatments. The Road To Recovery Program takes that burden off the patient so they can focus on getting better.

Last year, ACSOK provided more than 5,000 rides to patients throughout Oklahoma. But another 1,700 ride requests were unmet because of a lack of volunteer drivers.

“The more drivers we have, the better we are able to meet the growing needs of patients,” said Anthony Wilson, ACSOK program manager for Mission Delivery.

“Currently we have 68 volunteers across the state, split pretty evenly between Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  We appreciate and value each volunteer who donates a portion of their time to helping others.  Still, 25 percent of our needs are going unanswered simply because we don’t have enough drivers, and we desperately need more.”

ACSOK has its own fleet of vehicles, and volunteers are welcome to use those.  

Or if they prefer, they can use their own vehicle.

“Our drivers make the determination how far they are willing to drive,” Wilson said. “It’s really up to them to select the patients they pick up, and how often they drive for us. We have some volunteers who drive almost every day, and some who drive a few times a month. It’s just whatever the volunteer is comfortable with.”

Those who volunteer have their own reasons for getting involved, but most agree the bottom line is giving back to society and simply helping others.

“I realized a long time ago that having the best treatment in the world doesn’t do any good if you can’t get there,” said Don Taylor, a volunteer driver from Edmond.  “So that’s one of the main reasons I do it.”

Taylor has been driving for ACSOK for about 10 years, he says, and has no intention of slowing down.

“Being a volunteer driver is very uplifting to me,” he said. “I realize if I don’t help someone get to their treatment, they may not get there at all.  I do what I can to give back, and that is a very rewarding feeling. I just hope others will look at this life-saving ride program and consider volunteering.  It costs nothing, just a little bit of time. And the smiles and thanks we get in return are worth the effort.”

More information on the Road To Recovery program can be found at https://www.cancer.org/treatment/support-programs-and-services/road-to-recovery. html. Volunteer by phoning 405.841.5800.