health Helping Patients Karmanos volunteer doesn’t let age slow her down Discover Award-Winning Care St. Joe’s is a nationally award-winning health care provider, offering excellence in the areas of Cardiovascular, Orthopedic, Cancer, Women’s Health, and Pulmonary care. We take great pride in earning the trust of the community and in being the health care provider of choice for North Oakland County residents and their families. For a referral to a St. Joe’s physician or more information, visit stjoesoakland.org or call 800-372-6094. 68 April 26 • 2018 jn Fay Jacobs, a 93-year-old volunteer at Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Weisberg Cancer Treatment Center, helps women prepare for their mammograms at the Farmington Hills-based center. Also pictured is Lisa Abele, lead mammographer at Weisberg, and a patient. ELIZABETH KATZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS F ay Jacobs, 93, of Farmington Hills, isn’t someone who spends her days shopping and going out to lunch. Rather, you’ll find her exercising at the Costick Activities Center, meeting friends from Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park or volunteer- ing at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Weisberg Cancer Treatment Center in Farmington Hills. With her warm touch and friendly smile, Fay serves as a patient naviga- tor at Karmanos, helping women prepare for their mammograms, and serves in a secretarial capac- ity. She volunteers at Karmanos on Wednesdays for half a day. “I like being with people,” she said. “I try to calm people down. You can see them come in and they’re quite nervous.” Fay has been a volunteer at Karmanos for 10 years. “I thought I could help people,” she said. “I knew I wanted to volunteer at Karmanos. I enjoy being busy.” For her decade of volunteerism to Karmanos, Fay has been honored by the Farmington Area Commission on Aging with the Margaret Loridas Diamond Award. She, along with four other winners, were celebrated recently at a ceremony at the Costick Center in Farmington Hills. To be considered for the diamond award, an individual must live in the Farmington/Farmington Hills area, must be 75 years old “or better” and must be a current, active volunteer. The commission also gave out a “gold” level award, a S.A.G.E. Award for a volunteer in the community schools and awards for two individu- als who volunteer at Costick. “Fay is my hero,” said Kathleen Hardy, LMSW, oncology social worker at Karmanos who nominated Fay for the award. “If I could be like Fay, I would welcome living into my 90s. She is cheerful, full of energy and always has such nice things to say to everyone. “She chose volunteering, and our patients and staff are the beneficia- ries. We look forward to Wednesdays because we know Fay will be here to greet everyone and help us out in any way she can.” • Elizabeth Katz is the former external marketing and communications manager at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.