by Emily Greenberg

Journal reporter

Living in the San Juan Islands, surrounded by so much natural beauty and a strong community is a gift and a privilege, but also comes with a unique challenge: transportation.

A cancer diagnosis is one that no individual wants to receive, especially when many treatments are accessible only on the mainland. But there’s a network of support across the San Juans to help ease the burden of travel and help get patients to where they need to be.

Orcas Island Mercy Flights have several volunteer pilots who happily take to the sky to fly cancer patients to medical appointments, thereby reducing ferry and vehicle travel to mere minutes.

Pilots mostly fly patients requiring radiation treatment to either Friday Harbor, Bellingham, Mount Vernon or Anacortes. Fuel costs range from $35 to $50, and pilots can be reimbursed half the expense from a fuel-fund supported by donations. All pilots are volunteers, and more are always needed.

“We love to have pilots who want to do something to make them feel really good,” Mercy Flights Coordinator Audrey Wells said. “It’s very rewarding.”

Mercy Flight pilots are willing to go above and beyond, too. Sometimes they take patients beyond the 25-mile radius for flights if cleared by the organization’s treasurer, and other times they may provide ground transportation if the weather prevents flying.

Mid-fall this year it was too foggy to land in Anacortes, where a pilot was schedule to land with a dialysis patient. So the pilot flew to Skagit Airport instead, where he keeps a car, and then drove the patient to her appointment. Another pilot was supposed to pick the woman up, but since it was still too foggy to land that pilot picked the patient up by car and he drove her home from the ferry landing.

For more information about Mercy Flights or to arrange a flight, call 376-3201 or 317-4086.

The Orcas Island Cancer Support Group, led by Bogdan and Carol Kulminski, meets the second Thursday of each month in the fireside room of Orcas Island Community Church, 5-6 p.m.

“Research shows that if you have a support group in what you’re going through you have a better chance for surviving,” Bogdan said. “The treatment and recovery process will be so much better.”

The support group offers a confidential atmosphere where patients, survivors, caregivers and family members can voice fears and concerns openly. The group strives to create a positive atmosphere, where participants will leave feeling elevated.

“We try to work on the hope part,” he said. “We want to keep people up.”

For more information on the support group call 376-4198.

Also on Orcas, Lahari, a hospice facility, supports in-home care funded through grants. Recipients often include cancer patients and Lahari offers free caregiver classes every quarter. For details call 1-888-685-1475 or visit www.laharionorcas.com.

The Cancer Care Center at Peace Island Medical Center has brought services once only available off-island to Friday Harbor. The center provides infusion and specialty services, and administers chemotherapies, biologic medications, specialized injections, blood transfusions, central line maintenance and labs, prophylactic phlebotomies, chemo education, and chemo survivorship appointments by teleconference.

The Medical Center has recently started providing Reiki, reflexology and Jin Shin to its patients during infusion, at no extra cost to the patient. The service is possible through a grant from San Juan Community Foundation.

They also provide free taxi rides for patients, between the ferry and the hospital, through Round Towner Taxi Service.

“Our patients say we are a chemo ‘spa,’” said PIMC oncology nurse Dawn Alger.

Soroptomist International of Friday Harbor also helps coordinate transportation for patients seeking care outside of PIMC’s services. The Cancer Treatment Transportation Project provides ferry tickets and transportation by car to appointments. Soroptomist also coordinates with the San Juan Eagles to provide flights when needed. Contact Julie Hanks at 317-5086 or visit www.sifri.org.

San Juan Eagles Pilot and Coordinator Vicky Thalacker started the non-profit flight program in 2001. The group provides about 200 flights between San Juan Island and the mainland each year.

“We get the patient over there, into treatment, and back home so they can heal,” Thalacker said. “It’s pretty huge for a lot of people because they may need to take care of their family or job. It eliminates the stress.”

The group’s pilots are all volunteers, pay for everything themselves and “do it out of the goodness of their hearts,” Thalacker said.

To contact San Juan Eagles, or for flight arrangements, call 378-4578.

Lopez Island Hospice and Home Support is an all-volunteer organization offering grief and caregiver support groups, as well as rental medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers and shower benches. Call 378-4474 or email admin@lihhs.org for more information.

Many of these organizations work together to help county residents receive the care they need. Those living on outer islands are encouraged to contact these organizations for assistance.

All of the nonprofits mentioned rely on donations and fundraisers to continue providing services to cancer patients. To donate, contact the organization at the contact numbers provided above.