LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Vegas Golden Knights' defenceman Shea Theodore is continuing to honor the legacy of his grandmother, Kay Darlington, by helping breast cancer patients in Southern Nevada.
This year marks the fifth year since Kay's Power Play Fund was created, as part of a partnership with Comprehensive Cancer Centers and Susan G. Komen.
Darlington passed away in 2020 after battling breast cancer and Theodore says this is a way to honor her memory.
"My grandma battled breast cancer twice and she was really special to our entire family and she meant everything," Theodore said. "She came here and had great care and great help. The team just took really good care of her."
Kay's Power Play Fund provides money for cancer patients in Southern Nevada to get vital services.
"[They] not only get the mammograms but [this] also helps patients with other resources, including rent, bills, groceries, and other items," said Paul Dieter, the Executive Director of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada. "The real call to action is making sure the community knows that the resources are available and to not have anyone miss care because [they don't know about] resources."
Since the program was launched in 2020, Comprehensive Cancer Centers and Shea Theodore have donated $50,000 every year. It's also important since breast cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat.
"Despite major advances in breast cancer treatment, many patients struggle to access care due to a host of financial pressures," said Jill Eaton, Executive Director of Nevada, Arizona and Inland Empire for Susan G. Komen. "Thanks to the support of Kay's Power Play, we are able to navigate patients into care and keep them on their treatment regimen."
She adds the money also supports the Komen helpline "which is the only helpline dedicated to breast cancer resources for people in the United States."
Over the past year, Susan G. Komen Nevada reports their Patient Care Center saw an increase of 21% in services provided to individuals seeking support.
According to Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Nevada's mammography rate is about 5% below the national average and nearly 2,500 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Nevada every year.
Doctors say the key to battling the disease is staying proactive and letting the community know that resources exist to help them.
"Ever since we started to think about this and plan it out five years ago, I think it just continues to grow, which is the most important part of everything we do," said Dr. Rupesh Parikh, from Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada. "It's all about prevention. The key message is it's always easier to prevent the cancer than treat it. If we can get that message out, that's what we want to do."
You can learn more about Kay's Power Play and how to get support here.
