Isabel Sternthal - LIA at Maggie’s Barts

Log 2

I am two weeks into my placement at Maggie’s Barts, and this week, had the opportunity to engage with the center and its visitors in new ways. I have completed my first deliverable- a resource directory of free debt, immigration, and housing advice services that can be used by the center benefits advisor when referring patients to further services. This was a helpful first project, as it allowed me to easily switch between researching and interacting with the center visitors. With this, I was exposed to two distinct elements of the center’s activities. Furthermore, working with the center benefits advisor was a helpful way to learn more about the broader cancer support landscape in which the organization operates. This was a valuable lesson in how important it is to thoroughly research the other services that form the environment in which an organization must be contextualized. I learned a great deal about what is, and is not, available to cancer patients in the UK, particularly for those who do not speak English as a first language.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to observe an art therapy session that stands out to me as a highlight of this experience thus far. I was fascinated to see how when engrossed in a creative process, center visitors were able to organically engage with one another in conversation in a manner that would otherwise be hard to orchestrate in a round table conversation. The participants jumped into the discussion naturally, and through their artwork, made connections and shared insights that might not have otherwise emerged. This was both an illuminating and challenging experience, as it has been difficult to hear from visitors with non-curative cancers without having the expertise to provide any support. The participants were extremely welcoming in allowing me to participate, and I hope that they felt that they had done something of value in helping to educate a student. 

Because the center operates on a drop-in basis, many of the visitors continue to participate in the center activities after their treatment has ended. My next project will be to develop a resource directory of community-based activities into which visitors can transition once they no longer require cancer-specific support. During this experience, I have been thinking a lot about why cancer can enable the development of meaningful community in a manner which can otherwise be hard to access. I will look forward to engaging with long-time visitors to learn about what aspects of the Maggie’s community have kept them engaged over several years. Hopefully, I will be able to identify services and activities that have these elements, even though aimed at a broader audience.