One early morning last February Miguel, a patient with one of those complicated tumors, grabbed his cell phone and dialed 900 100 036 in a call that ended up becoming the most important twenty minutes of his life. In that chat with a worker from Infocáncer, the helpline of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the long silences, the laughter, the occasional tear, the emotional release were as valuable as the words… When Miguel hung up, he He felt more accompanied in the relief of his fears and loneliness, and more comforted in the uncertainty surrounding cancer and its treatment.
That empathy that he found on the other end of the line pushed him to want to personally meet the agent who had attended him, the professional voice, but also warm and full of humanity, who had spoken to him during those twenty unforgettable minutes. And one day he went to the Infocáncer offices. “When he arrived he embraced the colleague who had treated him, and when he left he told us that perhaps we were not aware of the importance of our work.”
This is how Patrizia Bresannello, the person in charge of this telephone service, remembers that emotional episode AECC advice, a toll-free number that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, making it the only one in Europe for cancer care. Bresannello admits that there are many calls that touch their hearts, but Miguel’s in particular “was a precious experience because it sums up the meaning of what we do, being close to patients and their families at very difficult times and at any time, understanding the situation they are going through, offering them all the support and guaranteeing that they will not be alone at any time,” he sums up.
The Infocáncer telephone number receives an average of 550 calls a day (200,000 last year), more from women than from men, and with the most varied queries. From those who want to join the Association’s volunteering to those who are interested in prevention programs or smokers looking to quit tobacco. And of course, cancer patients and family members who are often contacted when the disease appears by surprise.
«A diagnosis of cancer supposes an enormous emotional impact both for the patient and for the rest of the family nucleus, and it is not easy to face it. A lot of doubts, uncertainties, fears arise, there are new situations to adapt to and sometimes they don’t even know why they are calling us, they don’t even know what they need, they just ask us to please help them”, details Bresannello.
In these circumstances, the Infocáncer technicians listen to them, reassure them and try to detect the specific needs of each situation in order to offer the different free services provided by the Association. If necessary, with a single call the person can already leave with an appointment with the service of psychology, social care, legal-labour or medical advice. “The goal is to be by their side from minute one through comprehensive care, and for them to know that they have a place of reference to which they can call,” underlines the person in charge.
complicated situations
The AECC has detected that after the pandemic the number of people with cancer in a situation of vulnerability has not stopped growing. «There are families of patients who call requesting very basic aid, food or to make ends meet; They are very complicated realities, ”admits Bresannello.
Since 2020 the number of calls has increased by 10% and the data for the first half of 2023 predict a new growth compared to 2022. «This comforts us because our greatest interest is that the telephone is known, that there is no cancer patient who needs help and do not have the opportunity to receive it because they do not know that we are here, that there is no one to tell us ‘I wish I had met you earlier when I needed your help’ ».
The Infocáncer service has been running for 32 years (it began operating in 1991), but its 24-hour/365-day operation is more recent, from April 2017. The Association realized the need to fill those gaps in the that the patient does not have his traditional support network. The early morning hours are some of the most bitter. “Nights are times when emotions tend to intensify and the patient or family member does not always have someone to turn to to tell him, for example, that he is nervous because the next day he is going into an operating room. At night we don’t dare call our friends or acquaintances to let off steam”, points out Bresannello, who recalls that non-urgent socio-sanitary services are not usually available on weekends or holidays either, “and many patients feel a little insecure those days and they call us».
No matter what time it is, day or night, there will be a warm voice behind 900 100 036. «They will always find someone on the other end of the phone who will listen to them, understand and support them, in short, who will It’s going to make them feel like they’re not alone.”
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