CANCER PATIENT HONORED.Byline: Amy Raisin raisin, in botany and cooking raisin, dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. Staff Writer VALENCIA - Long before Sheila Veloz learned she was dying of cancer, she helped raise money for medical equipment for the hospital where she fought her battle. As a tribute to the 59-year-old woman - who died earlier this month - and her work at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, the hospital's foundation is paying off the balance needed to purchase a specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. surgical microscope surgical microscope n. A binocular microscope used to visualize fine structures within the area of a surgical procedure. Also called operating microscope. , the same instrument Veloz raised funds for in recent years. ``Because she worked so hard for the foundation and adopted that particular piece of equipment to help raise funds, the board wanted to honor her this way,'' said Diana Vose, executive director of the hospital foundation. A dancer and former Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall New York City’s famous cinema; home of the Rockettes. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 2338] See : Theater Rockette, Veloz volunteered and helped raise funds for the hospital years before she was diagnosed with cancer in 1997. In addition to encouraging women to get annual mammograms and perform breast self-exams, Veloz raised funds to purchase special recliners for the hospital to make chemotherapy chemotherapy (kē'mōthĕr`əpē), treatment of disease with chemicals or drugs. One chemotherapeutic approach is the development of selectively toxic substances, i.e. patients more comfortable during their treatments. She also helped raise money for an instrument designed to target precise areas of cancer infiltration infiltration /in·fil·tra·tion/ (in?fil-tra´shun) 1. the pathological diffusion or accumulation in a tissue or cells of substances not normal to it or in amounts in excess of the normal. 2. infiltrate (2). , as well as for chair-beds, which allow patients' family members to stay with them overnight during their recovery. During the past two years, Veloz helped raise about $60,000 for the surgical microscope. After her death, the foundation board voted to donate as much as $25,000, the balance needed to purchase the device. Veloz is remembered as a giving, energetic woman who needed only four hours of sleep each night. ``She was such an incredible, inspirational in·spi·ra·tion·al adj. 1. Of or relating to inspiration. 2. Providing or intended to convey inspiration. 3. Resulting from inspiration. person. I'm not surprised she meant so much to others,'' said daughter Sheryl Ragen. ``She never ceased to amaze me. ``She was constantly at our side,'' Ragen said of her mother's dedication to her family. ``She was there for us so much that we didn't really realize the impact she was having on others' lives.'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion