The 5th Annual Swim Across America – Nantucket Island Open Water Swim takes place this weekend on Saturday August 27, 2016 at Jetties beach to raise money for on-island cancer treatment and patient care through the Nantucket Cottage Hospital (NCH) and Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket (PASCON). Swim Across America – Nantucket received a grant from the Nantucket Fund™ for this event and we are humbled at their efforts to help fight cancer on our Island.
Most of us know someone who is dealing with cancer, and how devastating it can be both for the person who is ill and for the family. Cancer touches everyone, and living with this disease on a remote island can make things much more difficult.
Nantucket Cottage Hospital has teamed up with the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center to bring world-class oncologists to Nantucket on a bi-weekly basis. In addition, as a result of our annual swims, we now have an oncology nurse practitioner on-island five days per week. NCH also offers chemotherapy services for our patients who need them.
Palliative & Supportive Care of Nantucket has developed a Cancer Survivorship Support Program offering – free of charge, the extra layers of support needed to help patients and families live with and cope with this disease from the moment of diagnosis onward.
Maria Zodda, Nantucket Resident & Wavemaker Swimmer writes, “My involvement with Palliative Care (PASCON) began when my brother in law David Millar was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. David had no permanent home no job and he was divorced but did have health insurance. He came to live with us on island in the fall of 2015. We could not have managed his care and mental well being without the program. The MGH doctors and the Cottage hospital coordinated his treatment and visits. His chemo therapy at the Cottage Hospital saved us time and effort and gave his last months a high quality of life. The technicians were both skilled and caring. The counseling we all received during this traumatic time was invaluable. David also went to Reiki sessions which helped his pain and state of mind. We were not alone, we were given cell phone numbers from many professionals and told to call not matter the time or issue. We were given realistic, but sound advice especially when we knew things were at an end stage. His doctor phoned my husband after David had passed in April to see how we were all coping. The most trying situation turned into a most manageable one due to the caring professionals who were there for us every step of the way.
This is why I SWIM and will continue to do so for my wider Nantucket family. When we needed them the most Palliative Care was there. My thanks, help them keep up this important work!”
If you want to register to swim or donate to the cause, visit
Swim Across America – Nantucket, here.
Interested to learn more how the Nantucket Fund™ helps ALL of Nantucket? From fighting cancer and substance abuse to furthering our children’s education, visit The Nantucket Fund™ page, here or MAKE A GIFT today!