Al and I had been married 50 years when we found out he had cancer. It was horrible. It was just like the worst possible thing in the world that could happen. We went to Memphis and didn't get much encouragement, so we came back home waiting for the big, bad day. Then we heard that Dr. Arnold Smith was coming to Greenwood to open a cancer treatment clinic, and we went to see him. At first, we were just so glad that we didn't have to travel for the treatments. Then we realized that besides being able to stay at home, we were getting exactly what Al needed.

I can't tell you how glad we are, because Dr. Smith really turned things around. Al just feels good. He enjoys working in the yard, raking leaves -- all the things that he's always liked to do. (But he still doesn't much like that kitchen work.) Dr. Smith is a firm believer in quality of life. Of course, his first goal is to get rid of the cancer, but he wants you to feel as good as you can while you're getting your treatments. At the Cancer Center, they can do amazing things to help your body get stronger and tolerate the radiation therapy and chemotherapy easier. Al was Dr. Smith's first patient at the Cancer Center, and just look at us, four and a half years later. We are so fortunate to have a facility and a group of people of this caliber close by.