11/17/2025
This National Family Caregivers Month, we want to recognize Monique D., L.S.W., a behavioral health therapist at our hospital, who brings a unique experience to her profession, having cared for her mother, and now for her stepfather.
"Knowing first-hand the emotional difficulty that exists when watching someone you love battles cancer, caregivers don’t realize that they each have their own specific cancer journey separate from the patient," said Monique.
Monique's mother, Pamela, lost her battle to stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in 2018, but today, Monique cares for her stepfather, Jon, who has stage 1 papillary thyroid cancer and kidney disease.
Monique recommends journaling every day because there are always emotions present, always questions, always fears, always worries. But journaling gives you an outlet to express your emotions during tough times.