More than a tote bag: The Lydia Project addresses many needs during cancer patients’ fight

Correction: A previous version of this story gave an incomplete web address for The Lydia Project. The article has been updated.

It's about an hour and a half drive from Wrightsville, Georgia, to Augusta Oncology on Wheeler Road. For over a decade, Marie Moye made that drive from her hometown to the treatment center for chemotherapy and radiation treatments after being diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2008.

That changed in 2020 when a nurse at Augusta Oncology referred her to The Lydia Project. Moye was already familiar with the nonprofit organization after receiving a signature tote bag of support items from them shortly after her initial diagnosis. Although The Lydia Project has been distributing its totes to encourage cancer patients for many years, Moye has learned they do so much more.

For six weeks, Moye was able to reside in The Lydia Project house on Interstate Parkway in Augusta, just a short drive to her treatments. The house can hold up to 10 patients and their caregivers and meals are included in their stay, all at no cost.

"I don't know where I'd be without The Lydia Project," Moye said. "It changed my whole life … I knew I couldn't go through it without somewhere to stay."

Moye is one of hundreds of cancer patients who have called The Lydia Project their home, and they are not all from Georgia. Guests include cancer patients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina who chose to receive medical care and treatments from one of Augusta's many oncology specialists.

When Sandra Hall of Ridgeway, S.C., was diagnosed with mild dysplasia in May, her doctor said she would need to see an oncologist. She and her daughter, Lindsay Ambush, began researching potential doctors and found that "the cream of the crop" were in Augusta, she said.

After seeing a doctor at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, she learned she would need a bone marrow transplant. Because of the hour and a half drive, the doctor referred her to The Lydia Project. Ambush and Hall reported to the house on Aug. 23 to get a feel for how life at the home would be before reporting for surgery two days later.

The pair stayed at the hospital until Oct. 1 and are still residing at The Lydia Project house while she continues treatment in Augusta. Ambush is able to work remotely in the house's library while Hall rests in her room and recuperates between appointments.

"(The Lydia Project) has taken our minds off of some of the troubles and allowed me to improve my strength and work on me," Hall said. "It just feels like I've been able to concentrate on my health and my needs."

"It's a load off, because as a caregiver you're thinking about how to support and how to be there but also the expenses of driving and food," Ambush said.

Brenda McGarr is an oncology nurse navigator for Augusta Oncology who helps patients with services needed during treatment. The Lydia Project has been a valuable asset for her, and she said she can't recall a time when she's asked for something and they've told her no.

Although The Lydia Project house is limited, executive director Michele Canchola said it partners with local hotels and an Airbnb. Last year, a family used the Airbnb home to celebrate Christmas while their child received treatments in the area. The homeowner even purchased a Christmas tree to make the holiday brighter.

One of the biggest assets, McGarr said, is transportation to treatment especially when organizations like the American Cancer Society had to stop some of its services because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lydia Project partners with various transportation services to get patients where they need to go.

"Some people can't get to treatment," she said. "Especially some of those who are lower income and they can't take off work or their family members can't take off work. Sometimes they can't afford the gas."

The transportation services are provided for Augusta residents and those in rural parts of Georgia. Some patients require surgeries that sometimes require them to report as early as 4 a.m. and The Lydia Project is still able to find transportation for them, Canchola said.

Housing and transportation are the two major programs The Lydia Project offers, but Canchola said they also help with paying rent, utility, prescription and medical supply expenses. All services, including housing and transportation, must be referred by a physician's office.

As of Nov. 2, the nonprofit has served 2,502 men, women and children who have cancer this year alone. Individuals can also call the office for prayer and monthly visits during their cancer journey.

Moye said the prayer and visits once she returned home were crucial, especially in low moments when she felt hopeless.

"They always have something to offer to help you," she said.

With all of its services, the organization's seven paid staff members rely heavily on volunteers with approximately 600 serving in various roles. That keeps costs low and allows The Lydia Project to operate on a $440,000 budget.

Fundraising opportunities have taken a hit during the pandemic. The financial challenge, Canchola said, comes with naysayers.

"You have to look beyond that and see the 81-year-old woman who needs help with her power bill," she said. "This is (God's) ministry and I see it every day."

One fundraiser The Lydia Project is continuing is its 16th annual Lights for Lydia. For $10, those who donate receive 10 luminarias to place at home or at local businesses in December. More details can be found on TThe Lydia Project website, thelydiaproject.org.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Cancer patients from near and far find support at The Lydia Project