HUMBOLDT — After learning she had a cancerous tumor in her throat, 78-year-old Doris Fugitt of Humboldt was prepared to drive herself to radiation treatments in Chanute.
Five days a week. For more than four months.
Her daughter and her brother helped when they could, but her daughter had work commitments and it was quite a long drive for her brother.
Help came in the form of wings and wheels.
Wings of Warriors received a one-year grant from Health Forward Foundation to purchase a car to take Allen County residents to their cancer treatments.
Three women volunteered to drive Doris, splitting the daily trips between them. They take turns driving her to Chanute, waiting in the parking lot until her treatment ends, then driving her home.
Each of the drivers agreed to help for different reasons. None of them knew Doris very well, though one of them was a neighbor for many years.
They talked about their families. Their grandchildren. Their pets. Their hobbies.
The women developed a special bond.
The drivers still worry about Doris’s health. They’re inspired by her strength and courage.
And they’ve offered Doris much more than car rides.
“I’m grateful for people to be that caring,” Doris said. “It’s taught me that there is a lot of goodness in the world. You can depend on people and they will be there for you when you need them.”
LINDA Womelsdorf, Patti McCormick and Peggy Lundine didn’t need much convincing when asked to volunteer as drivers.
Linda has been a volunteer driver for about six months. She mostly drives for people in the local area, while her daughter has taken patients to appointments as far as Kansas City. It’s rare to have someone who needs a driver five days a week.
Patti and Peggy were asked specifically to drive for Doris.
All of them thought it was a good cause, and an easy way to help.
Patti and Doris were once neighbors, albeit in the country. They lived in the same section and knew each other’s families. Doris used to raise dogs, and Patti’s family once got a Norwegian elkhound from her.
During their road trips, they talk about people they both know.
