Miles Perret rep visits Ville Platte Rotary Club

Allison Bourne-Vanneck, community liaison for Miles Perret Cancer Services in Lafayette spoke to the Ville Platte Rotary Club members about how the organization helps local families at the November 8 meeting.
Bourne-Vanneck said, “We serve anybody who has been diagnosed with cancer, whether you reside in or receive treatment in our 10 parish service area, our services are available to you. It can be any type of cancer, you can be of any age. There is no appointment necessary. You can come right over to our office and somebody will be able to help you.
“There are also no qualifications — no income qualifications and our 10 parish service area includes Acadia, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Iberia, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion Parish.”
Miles Perret Cancer Services was established in June 2002 in memory of 8-year-old Miles Perret. The non-profit organization provides non-medical resources, services, programs, guidance and hope. The services of the organization are comprehensive and provided at no charge to the clients and their families. The mission of the organization is to help people fight, survive and live with cancer.
The center offers mastectomy items for clients, and an entire room at center is dedicated to fitting anyone in need of a bra or prosthesis.
The center also has of medical supplies, from wound care items to help clients with their treatment to clients who are having surgery.
Patient navigation notebooks are also available for clients.
“This is a comprehensive cancer journal that helps assist patients keep track of their medical care,” Bourne-Vanneck said. “This can keep track of addresses, doctor’s appointments, treatments and treatment schedules, anything you name it. This is also really helpful when there are multiple caretakers of a loved one with cancer. If one caretaker has to step out and another needs to step in, they have all the information they need about their loved one.”
The center’s Christmas Giving Tree program is for families with children 18 and under or who have an immediate family member who has cancer. The goal is to provide every child with two gifts.
The center also has Mobile Miles, which is basically Miles Perret Cancer Center on wheels.
“More than 60 percent of the families we serve reside outside of Lafayette, so our Mobile Miles unit is a way that we can reach everyone and anyone who can’t as easily come over to our office,” Bourne-Vanneck said.
The unit is taken to Abbeville, Crowley, Eunice, Mamou, Ville Platte, New Iberia and Opelousas.