Remarkable Women: Becky Pollard
SALEM, Va. (WFXR) — People who know Becky Pollard say she is always working on “projects” to help others.
“I’ve never known anyone to give as much as her in both informal and formal capacities,” said Janet Harris.
Janet nominated Becky for WFXR’s Remarkable Women Contest.
She wrote, “She is actively in her second battle with a rare cancer and instead of feeling bad for herself she is pouring her energy into a nonprofit she established to ensure chemo patients have transportation to treatments. Who does something like that while actively fighting for their life? Becky does! That’s just who she is.”
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The nonprofit is named “Healing Wheels” and was started after Becky noticed that people were struggling to get transportation.
“I noticed there was a lady sitting next to me that had a little book and she was going through her book. She was trying to call people to come and pick her up,” said Becky Pollard.
From there, Becky went to talk to her Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Jolee Preston, and what she learned was shocking.
“Transportation is the number one issue that keeps our patients from getting to their treatment,” said Jolee Preston.
“There are a lot of people, what I call the working poor, who they don’t have Medicaid and they don’t qualify for some other types of transport, so they’re just out there floundering around trying to find a way to get back and forth to radiation and chemo treatments,” said Becky. She went on to say, “So, that was when I looked at Jolee and I said, ‘You know, we really ought to start a nonprofit to help these people.'”
That is exactly what Becky and Jolee did. They came up with “Healing Wheels.” The nonprofit uses Uber to book and offer rides to and from treatment at Blue Ridge Cancer Care. Jolee says it’s saving lives.
“These patients some of them have to go have blood transfusions and they can’t get rides there and that blood transfusion is what’s keeping them alive. Some can’t get here for their chemo treatments and it’s the chemo that is actually keeping them alive,” said Jolee.
Becky knows firsthand how lifesaving those treatments can be and as she continues her cancer battle, she says she finds joy in helping others.
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“It’s not that I’m looking for any comfort in doing it I just think it’s been good for my soul,” said Becky.
Her resilience is one of the things Jolee admires about the woman who she now calls a friend.
“There’s nothing that’s going to stand in her way from doing what she wants to do and she just doesn’t give up and she doesn’t give in,” said Jolee when talking about Becky.
So, as she fights this second round, Becky hopes this nonprofit and the legacy it leaves behind will put meaning behind her cancer journey. It is a legacy that is growing as “Healing Wheels” and Becky’s impact expands throughout the region.
“She is still working and pushing forward. My goodness she is remarkable and so deserving of this recognition,” writes Janet.
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