Virgil Moore remembers his family getting upset when he decided to receive his cancer treatment in Yuma. Everyone from his wife, son and sister argued that a huge hospital in a big city was the only option. Then they saw Virgil’s amazing physical progress.
They also heard the retired farmer use a pretty powerful word to describe his care team at Yuma Regional Medical Center Cancer Center.
“After just one or two visits to our cancer center, they became like family,” Virgil said. “That’s exactly what I always wanted through this cancer treatment — to be close to home and close to my family.”
He smiles as he explains: “When I’m at home, I’m with my family. When I go to the cancer center, I’m with my family there, too. I am always with family.”
Virgil’s relatives soon realized that he wasn’t only in good hands medically, but in the company of some pretty wonderful hearts as well.
That realization came at the perfect time, too. Not only did his relatives rest easier, but one member of
Virgil’s family especially needed that comforting confidence in the cancer center. Just six months after Virgil’s diagnosis, his sister found herself needing to follow in her brother’s footsteps. Lynda Penny discovered that she also had cancer.
It wasn’t long before Lynda joined her second family at the cancer center with open arms. Today, Lynda says she wasn’t only impressed with the high level of care that the center provides. She also greatly appreciates the heartfelt care that goes along with the high-level professionalism, training, services and technology. “The care at the cancer center is beyond amazing,” she said. “From the ladies at the front, to all the nurses and doctors, they all know my name and treat me so well.”
To Virgil and Lynda, the idea of neighbors taking care of neighbors — even when that means fighting cancer together — is just how folks live in Yuma County.
When Virgil was diagnosed with cancer, it initially appeared in his prostate, but quickly moved into his ribs and up his spine. When he began treatment at the cancer center, he could not walk and needed to use a wheelchair. After several radiation treatments, under the care of Dr. Robert Takesuye, Virgil regained his strength.
“He went from not being able to walk to being out playing golf again,” said Lynda’s husband, Jason. “That’s pretty amazing.” Witnessing that care and transformation meant a lot to Lynda and Jason following her diagnosis with breast cancer. Lynda recalled making an appointment with the cancer center for basic registration, when her brother’s doctor stopped by out of the blue.
“Dr. Takesuye said, ‘You don’t have an appointment with me, but I was instructed by your big brother to come and meet you — and make sure I take very good care of you. I am here to tell you that’s exactly what I’m going to do,’” Lynda recalled, beaming. “I told Virgil, ‘I now understand why you stayed in Yuma.’”
Lynda’s husband said he was impressed with the cancer center after he saw how doctors handled questions and concerns following one of Lynda’s procedures. The cancer center’s medical director, upon sensing Lynda and Jason had some concerns, scheduled Lynda an appointment with a facility in Scottsdale.
“These were some of the top cancer doctors in Scottsdale, some of them even invented the procedures used in Yuma,” Jason explained. “When they met with us, they said, ‘What your doctors in Yuma are doing is exactly what we would be doing. What they are doing for you is perfect.’”
Lynda returned to Yuma and the cancer center, where that last part of her cancer was successfully treated with radiation, as had been originally planned. Once on the verge of reaching stage four with her breast cancer, Lynda is now in remission and feeling great.
Virgil says he’s happy he stuck by his guns and made that decision not seek care in Houston, as some loved ones had suggested.
“No way was I going to go there and sit in a motel room for months, just staring at the walls, when I can go to the cancer center here just 15 minutes from my home,” he said. “I can take my treatments and be right home with my support system — my family. I can sit there with my dogs and look out my own window. Being home will always be 100 percent better.”
Watch their story: