An Inspiring Woman on a Mission: Sherry Higgs

In early 2010, Sherry Higgs woke up to a situation that most women fear: a swelling in her breast that was indicative of cancer.

An immediate medical evaluation confirmed the worse; she had inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive malignancy.

She had been on the verge of starting a new career opportunity, but this now had to be put on hold as her doctors created a year-long treatment program to battle her illness. It consisted of both chemotherapy and radiation, surgery and follow-ups, plus immunotherapy sessions.

It was a LOT of appointments – which led to a revelation.

“After a year of consecutive and intensive treatments followed by multiple surgeries, involving many trips back and forth to clinics and hospitals, I saw a need, a big need.” she recalled. “My purpose in life became clear. I was going to help cancer patients with transportation.”

Sherry was lucky – she had people ready to help her get where she had to go most of the time, but not always. But what about people who didn’t have a sufficient support network?

Immediately after treatment, Sherry started Drivers for Survivors, a non-profit that has been serving the residents of Alameda County in California for the past five years by matching ambulatory cancer patients with drivers who can take them to their doctor appointments and medical procedures for free.

The program not only provides patients with a ride, it provides them with companionship, which might be even more important. Sherry’s clients don’t have to feel they are facing their treatment alone. They now have a friend who can give them support, listen to their concerns and even lend a shoulder to cry on.

There are careful driver screenings and privacy policies that help protect the patients, and a system that makes it easy to volunteer, whether you can drive someone to appointments several times a week or only once a month. (Drivers must provide transportation at least once every three months to be considered active in the program).

Now with more than 100 active volunteers, Drivers for Survivors is serving scores of cancer patients so they don’t have to worry about getting to their life-saving appointments but can instead focus on getting healthy.

And drivers find the service uplifting as well. In a recent issue of Bay Area Nonprofits magazine, one of Sherry’s volunteers, a financial advisor, said the rewards of volunteering for Drivers for Survivors are considerable.

“The emotional paycheck is substantial and fills any void – I mean any void,” the volunteer said. “If you are looking to bring meaning in your life – here is a choice for you.”

This partnership between volunteers and the patients who need them has proved so successful that Drivers for Survivors has grown dramatically since its start five years ago.

Originally offered to three towns in central Alameda County in California, DFS is now available in six additional locations, providing the support that can help patients in any part of the cancer journey – from finding a suspicious lump or discoloration straight through to completion of treatment.

Sherry is also using her nonprofit as a way to promote cancer screenings and early detection. Right on her brochure is a box urging people to talk to their primary care givers and determine if cancer screenings should be part of their regular medical checkups.

All these efforts are how Sherry is living up to her mantra: “I can’t change the world, but I can change my world one person at a time.”

Find out more about Drivers for Survivors on their website or Facebook page.

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