Over her two-decade battle with cancer, Judy McNair has maintained a positive outlook and cheerful disposition, relying on her faith and those around her to help her on her journey.
As she receives infusions at the WVU Cancer Institute’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown, she is quick to express her gratitude for the treatment and support she has received from medical professionals, family, and the donors who have contributed to care for patients like her.
McNair was originally diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after Thanksgiving in 2003 and has been treated for lymphoma twice in the years since. Now, the Wyoming County native believes she is cancer-free and well on her road to recovery.
As part of her treatment, McNair had CAR-T cell therapy — a form of immunotherapy that trains immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer — in 2023 and has been getting infusions to help build back her immune system.
“It’s just been wonderful,” McNair said of her care. “I’ve not come across anybody who’s been mean, hateful, having a bad day, or anything else.”
While she receives her infusions, McNair, like all patients at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, is treated to a mid-day meal that makes her smile wider each day.
“It’s been about a year that I’ve been coming here, and every time I’m here, they come through with bag lunches,” McNair said. “I just think it’s wonderful.”
The bag lunches are distributed by volunteers and prepared using resources from the donor-supported Soup for the Soul Fund, which directly supports patients during their treatment.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Soup for Soul Fund has provided more than 10,000 meals to patients who receive infusions or chemotherapy at the WVU Cancer Institute.
“Patients like Judy further underscore the compassionate care and profound effect programs like Soup for the Soul have on our patients,” Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, M.D., executive chair and director of the WVU Cancer Institute, said. “We want to thank Judy and others for supporting this program and our patients, to ensure they are comforted during their treatment at the WVU Cancer Institute.”
The provided lunch, which consists of items like a sandwich, fruit, chips, and a drink, is provided to patients free of charge and brought to them by volunteers directly in their room.
“These lunches make your day,” McNair said. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who come who don’t have family with them — what do they do? You can’t take all this stuff with you and go down to Chick-fil-A to get lunch. I just think it’s so wonderful.”
During a long day of treatment, the Soup for the Soul Fund gives patients one less thing to worry about and one less expense during what is a difficult time for many families.
“I think of all the people who are here who don’t have a family member with them to get them lunch,” McNair said. “Usually I’m here at least four hours, but someone getting chemo is probably here six or seven hours.”
Donations to the Soup for Soul Fund are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit arm of West Virginia University and its affiliated entities. Funds donated are used to directly support these meals and make treatments easier for McNair and patients just like her.
“I just want to reach out and thank the Foundation and the donors so much,” McNair said. “It’s the first time and the only time I have made a donation.”
For more information on the WVU Cancer Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/Cancer.
To make a gift to the Soup for the Soul Fund (2W1007), visit Give.WVU.edu/WVUCancerInstitute.