Personal Cancer Care Close to Home

By Lauren Snipes

Dr. Pat Denton moved to Florence in 2001 as the first physician leader charged with growing Sports Medicine into a more comprehensive program throughout the regions served by McLeod Health. He had no idea his own family would soon need the excellent care provided by McLeod Health.

Following Medical School at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Denton and his wife Leslie knew they wanted to eventually settle down in the Southeast. After completing his Residency in Indiana and his Fellowship in Wisconsin, Dr. Denton chose to begin his practice at what was then Pee Dee Orthopaedic Associates.

With their 8-week-old newborn son in tow, the couple packed their belongings and set off to begin their new chapter in South Carolina.

Four years later, Leslie went in for a routine visit with her primary care physician. Prior to her appointment, she’d felt a lump in her breast and decided to ask him about it.

After examining her, he sent her for a mammogram and suggested speaking with a surgeon. When Leslie walked into the room for this test, her husband was already there. She knew then this may be very serious.

Leslie soon received her results, which confirmed an aggressive form of breast cancer. At just 33 years old, Leslie was shocked by this news.

With a four-year-old little boy at home, they were determined to fight and keep a positive attitude as they faced this tremendous battle.

Leslie immediately began chemotherapy treatments, followed by radiation. It was a relief to Leslie and her family for her to have access to the best oncology care and treatment so close to home. “Pat had so much faith and trust in the doctors here at McLeod,” recalls Leslie.

Her care team consisted of a surgeon, oncologist, radiation oncologist and plastic surgeon who developed a comprehensive plan to aggressively treat Leslie’s cancer.

“At McLeod, I really got to know my physicians, nurses and the other staff. Having the same people take care of me for each treatment was comforting. I was never just a number in the system. I was always Leslie Denton.”

Looking back, Leslie vividly remembers waiting for her radiation treatment one day and noticing a basket of snacks that had been set out for patients to enjoy. She distinctly recalls feeling a pang of guilt, realizing so many patients didn’t have her same support system of family, friends and community.

“I couldn’t take a snack, knowing so many patients who came in to wait may be truly hungry,” Leslie recalls. “It was in that moment I understood that many patients faced realities far different from my own.”

Years later, Leslie was invited to join the McLeod Foundation’s HOPE (Helping Oncology Patients Everyday) Fund Advisory Committee by Committee Chair Robin Aiken.

This group exists to steward funds given by donors to support and assist oncology patients being treated at McLeod Regional Medical Center.

As Leslie attended meetings and learned more about the HOPE Fund, she realized a profound truth. “The HOPE Fund exists to be a support system for those with no one,” she shares. “Not all cancer diagnoses are fatal, but they could be without the non-medical support one needs to make it through.”

The HOPE Fund serves to bridge this gap for oncology patients who are going through active treatment.

Patients may receive help with urgent, critical needs such as purchasing necessary medications and nutritional supplements, covering the cost of various bills and other financial crises as well as transportation.

“While the treatment is key for survival, it’s important to care for the whole person, which includes their emotional, spiritual and financial needs as well,” Leslie adds.

Dr. Denton and Leslie choose to personally support the HOPE Fund, as they want to be able to offer this crucial support to others going through the same battle Leslie fought.

They hope their giving, and the sacrificial giving of all HOPE donors, will remind patients of supporters who are cheering them on and helping them through the battle of a lifetime.