This week, the Meso Foundation launched Meso-Connect, a peer-to-peer support system aimed at helping mesothelioma patients and their families to combat isolation by connecting them with peers who are going through, or have been through, a similar experience.
Due to the rarity of mesothelioma (3,500 patients diagnosed each year in the United States) and the aggressive nature of this cancer, most patients feel alone in their fight. For mesothelioma patients, even just obtaining a diagnosis can often be a long process. Finding a specialist and the prospect of drastic surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation can be even more daunting. For this reason, we have developed Meso-Connect. Through Meso-Connect, the Foundation identifies and connects individual mesothelioma patients and/or their caregivers with members of the mesothelioma community who “have been there, and have done that.” All participants in the program are carefully screened to ensure a safe experience and fit.
This service is aimed at patients in all stages of a mesothelioma diagnosis. For a patient in the early stages of surgical recovery, for example, speaking with a peer who has successfully recovered may provide hope and inspiration. Additionally, the program is also available to caregivers, as well as those who have lost a loved one to meso.
Meso-Connect is also beneficial for those members of the mesothelioma community who choose to be on the helping side. Speaking with patients who need guidance can provide them with a sense of purpose and can serve as a reminder of their own progress.
To participate in Meso-Connect, either as someone receiving help or as someone providing help, patients and families must first register. Once signed up, each participant will be thoroughly screened. Those registrants who indicate they are willing to help others will receive training and guidance prior to their assignment. All participants are expected to comply with the terms, rules, and regulations of the program.
More information about Meso-Connect is available at curemeso.org/mesoconnect.
