Cancer Patients Get Peace Of Mind With Volunteer Drivers From American Cancer Society Road To Recovery

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Every day, thousands of cancer patients need a ride to undergo life-saving treatments.  Unfortunately, some patients do not have a way of ever making it there.

The American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery Program provides transportation to and from appointments for those who do not have a ride or may not be able to drive themselves.

Now, there is a call for more volunteers in South Florida to take part.

Laurie Mugve of Broward County is one of those volunteers. Every other week, she gives Joyce Hibbert a ride to her chemotherapy appointment.

"Good morning, Ms. Laurie!" Hibbert says as she opens the passenger door.

"How are you feeling today?" Mugve asks.

The two chat about their grandchildren and families to pass time on the twenty-minute trip to the hospital.

"It gives them something else to think about and one less thing to worry about, when we're here to give them a ride," Mugve says.

Hibbert was diagnosed with liver cancer a year ago.

Unfortunately, she is all too familiar with the difficulties of battling cancer and going through treatment.

For more than five years, Hibbert was her husband's caretaker while he battled colorectal cancer.

"I never missed an appointment with him," she says.

About a month before he passed away, Joyce received news of her own cancer diagnosis.

With children who live out of state and the cost of taxis adding up, she needed someone to help her, just like she was able to help her husband. That's when she found the American Cancer Society and met Mugve.

Mugve's parents both had cancer, so the Road to Recovery initiative is close to her heart.

"I've been driving for 10 years," she explains. "Knowing that you're helping a patient directly, there's just something special about it."

The American Cancer Society is looking for more South Florida volunteers with a goal of at least 100 more.

"You pick your own schedule. You pick your own rides, and you know a week in advance," Mugve explains.

She says people fighting cancer need to focus on their treatment, not how they're going to get to it.

"When I am done with my treatments, when doctors say I don't have to come back, I will miss them," Hibbert says. "But I will call her and keep up!"

The Road to Recovery gives patients just a little peace of mind, and it is as simple as taking a drive.

To apply to be a driver, you need to go through a background check, have a valid driver's license, and attend a two-hour training course.

For more information, you can contact the American Cancer Society 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-227-2345. You can also go to www.cancer.org.