Saving a life

December 12, 2017

Joan Ball says the Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic saved her life.

When Joan was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer last year, she had no insurance and no money. 

“I was so worried.  What would happen to me?” she said as tears welled up in her eyes. 

“Cancer is a frightening thing.”

So, she turned to our community’s health care safety net provider – the Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic. 

“And, they went out of their way to get me help.” 

The Clinic arranged for tests and eventually the mastectomy, chemotherapy, and then radiation.

“The Clinic does not care who you are or where you come from.  They just wanted to know what I needed.  They helped me get to the right places for care.”

Compassionate and supportive is how she described the staff.

“Never once did I feel like they did not care about me.  They were loving, compassionate, and understanding.  The nurse told me I could call her anytime and that she would be there for me.”

Born and raised in White Stone, Joan spent many years as a child care provider for two families in Lancaster County before leaving to clean the U.S. Post Offices in White Stone, Irvington, and Lancaster.  In her career as a child care provider, she had insurance provided by her employers.  After changing jobs she did not. 

“When you have something like cancer and you don’t know the unknown, you have no clue what your journey will be like.  But if someone is there to listen to your fears, it means so much.  This is what I found at the Free Health Clinic — and more.”