FOR A GOOD CAUSE -- Judie Carlson

Judie Carlson can’t recall anybody in her family or circle of friends

whom she has lost to cancer.

But cancer prevention and a cure is an area that she has dedicated

most of her life to. The 58-year-old Newport Beach resident retired five

years ago from her job as a receptionist for the American Cancer

Society’s Santa Ana office.

But she couldn’t stay away.

So she continued as a volunteer for the organization, serving as a

coordinator who organized rides to and from the hospital for cancer

patients who could not drive themselves.

“I’ve been so blessed in life and given so much, and I saw other

people have so many needs,” Carlson said. “I felt an urge to help.”

Till about a month ago, Carlson was a driver on call. That means she

could be called at any time of day to drive a patient to his or her

treatment.

“It was a challenging job,” she said. “As a coordinator, sometimes I’d

find other people couldn’t make it. So I’d have to go myself.”

She lost count of how many hours she worked, but Carlson says it is

something she enjoyed immensely and drew satisfaction from.

But it is always sad when the group loses patients to the disease, she

said.

“Oh, we’ve lost so many,” Carlson said. “And we get close to them too.

It becomes really tough then. It’s hard.”

Carlson said she has always been involved in volunteering even when

she worked. Now she works at the American Cancer Society’s Helpline,

where she serves patients by providing them with information.

Schoolteachers and other organizations also call requesting posters

and educational material.

But her job does not stop there.

“Sometimes I feel like a counselor because it’s more than just handing

out brochures or just providing information,” she says. “People need to

talk sometimes, and I just make sure I’m there to listen. That way they

know they have someone to talk to.”

Carlson said she will continue to volunteer as long as possible.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop being a volunteer,” she said. “I’ll do

something for as long as I can.”

SI-- Story by Deepa Bharath; photo by Greg Fry