Christie Heacock is an avid believer in the value of good nutrition and exercise in the healing process.

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer almost three years ago, her commitment to diet and regular exercise became the elixir that helped her successfully endure eight months of treatment with minimal fatigue and pain.

"I ate lots of vegetables to give me the energy, antioxidants and nutrients to suppress the cancer," she says. "I also exercised nearly every day. On days when I felt some aches and pains, I'd go out and walk and I'd always come back feeling better."

During treatment, Heacock read everything she could about her diet and how to ensure she was getting the best nutrients to help her body recover. Heacock believed in the power of nutrition so much that she felt everyone going through cancer treatment deserved the benefit of medical nutritional counseling.

To ensure that happened, Heacock helped secure funding through a Nebraska foundation to develop the Cancer Center Nutrition Excellence Initiative at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center to expand the nutrition program.

Since the center opened in the fall of 2018, the amount of medical nutrition counseling time dedicated to cancer patients has increased by 240% per month. "Nutrition is critical and fundamental for the management of cancer and preventing recurrence," says Corrine Hanson, PhD, RD, LMNT, director of Medical Nutrition Education for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

The center has four primary goals: 

• To increase the number of cancer patients who receive comprehensive nutrition counseling 
• To offer more nutrition programming 
• To create additional nutrition educational materials for patients and care providers 
• To develop an integrative program that uses the most current research to develop effective nutrition programs

"Our program is very individualized for each patient based on their disease, symptoms and treatment," says Hanson.

Early data shows very promising results. "Prior to our expanded nutrition intervention, patients lost on average 11% of their body weight," notes Hanson. "After regular intervention began, 60% of patients maintained their body weight, which is important for treatment tolerance, immune system response and quality of life."

"When you go through something like cancer, you just want to do something to help other people, and this was a way that I could share my belief in wellness to help others," Heacock says. "My hope is that this expanded nutrition program will help others have positive results."

"This generous donation has allowed the cancer center to expand its team of medical nutritionists more quickly and in a more robust way," says Tom Thompson, senior director of development for the University of Nebraska Foundation. "We are grateful for Christie's vision and are hopeful that additional funding will be committed in the future that will allow the cancer center to continue this same level of care to its patients."

No charitable gift is too big or too small. For more information about how you can make a difference, call 402.502.0300.