Cultivating Hope for Reproductive Cancers

Agnes Balliet plants the Garden of Hope

Each month, Agnes Balliet visits Lehigh Valley Hospital for chemotherapy treatments for ovarian cancer. There, she takes a moment to “smell the roses” as she slips out the back door to nurture a patch of ground called the Garden of Hope.

She and others from the gynecologic-oncology support group care for the flowers, one for each member, symbolizing life. “I’m thankful that I’m able to maintain my quality of life,” Balliet said.

She receives the most advanced treatment available from one of only 600 gynecologic oncologists in the nation. Richard Boulay, M.D. is a specialist in cancers of the ovaries, cervix and uterus.

“I need to fight this for my husband and children, and Dr. Boulay is doing everything possible to help me stay well,” Balliet said. “He is on top of the latest treatments and takes time to answer all my questions.”

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