Devoting My Life to Helping Cancer Patients: My Story

Around 35 years ago, I founded my first clinic in Norwalk, CT. It was there that I met a young breast cancer patient who forever changed my life. Working with her ultimately led me to a life of service, compassion, and an unwavering pursuit of knowledge to help cancer patients heal with natural medicine.

She ignited a passion within me that continues to motivate me to apply all that I can to tirelessly support and guide those with cancer. Her name was Sinclair, but everyone at the clinic came to call her “St. Clair” because of the strength, beauty, and kindness that emanated from her.

Sinclair faced serious health challenges and sought support to help her through treatments that, while trying to give her life, also took pieces of that life away. Pouring over research, I learned everything that I could as I was determined to find new therapies to support her. I gave her what I continue to give my clients to this day – my heart, my soul, and my mind.

A Ring

At Sinclair’s memorial, her parents gave me a ring that Sinclair created for me as one of her last acts. I put that ring on my finger and have never taken it off. The ring is a symbol and reminder of my life’s purpose – to help people with chronic health challenges who are seeking a better quality of life.

While I lived in a Franciscan monastery, am professed as a 3rd Order Franciscan, and ran a soup kitchen and shelter, I still did not see any of these as my calling. However, the moment that I received the ring was like the heavens opened to me and I found my vocation, mission, and purpose.

I loved the meaningful relationship between practitioner and patient and the privilege of understanding how to leverage the innate intelligence of the plant kingdom for human well-being.

I have since taken this passion and created the Mederi Center, where cancer patients come from all over the world so that they can benefit from our whole person approach. We are a not-for-profit wholistic health and healing center that uses a model of care known as Mederi Care (MC).

The History of Mederi Care

Mederi Care (MC) is a model of care that I developed and practice along with my colleagues at the Mederi Center. It is based on over 35 years of experience in working with cancer patients and integrating various natural therapies into their treatment plans.

The idea for MC originated from my observation that many cancer patients were not receiving the comprehensive care they needed to address the root causes of their illness. Conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often fail to address the underlying factors that contribute to the development of cancer, such as chronic stress, environmental toxins, poor diet, and lack of exercise.

To fill this gap in care, I developed MC as an integrative approach that addresses the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. It combines evidence-based natural therapies with conventional treatments to create a personalized treatment plan tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

One of the key principles of MC is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to cancer treatment. Each patient’s journey is different, and their treatment plan should reflect that. That’s why we take a holistic approach to patient care and work closely with each individual to understand their specific health challenges.

Over time, we have seen remarkable results with MC. Patients who come to us with advanced-stage cancers often experience significant improvements in their quality of life and overall health. We believe this success is due in large part to our commitment to treating each patient as a whole person rather than just a collection of symptoms or diseases.

Stories of Patients

At the Mederi Center, we take a whole-person approach to cancer care that has helped many of our patients achieve positive outcomes.

For instance, Sarah, a breast cancer survivor, came to us after experiencing severe side effects from traditional treatments. Through our personalized botanical medicine, nutrition counseling, and lifestyle modifications, Sarah was able to regain her strength and vitality, and her cancer is now in remission.

Similarly, John, who had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer and given only months to live, sought an alternative to traditional treatments that were not working for him. With Mederi Care, John’s quality of life improved dramatically as his pain lessened and his energy levels increased. Though John eventually passed away from his illness, he was able to spend his remaining time with more comfort and joy thanks to our integrative approach.

These are just two examples of the many success stories we have seen at the Mederi Center. We believe that every patient deserves personalized care that addresses their unique needs and challenges. Our goal is to help our patients achieve the best possible outcomes while maintaining their quality of life during treatment.

While we specialize in cancer, patients come to the Mederi Center with numerous health issues, including Parkinson’s disease and heart conditions, and even for the advancement of health. Everything we recommend—from customized botanical formulations to dietary advice to lifestyle changes—is tailored specifically to the individual patient’s unique needs.

As I reflect on another year of working with patients and educating providers in Mederi Care, I am reminded once again of Sinclair, as her memory continues to live on in my work.

About the Author:

Donald R. Yance is the founder of the Mederi Center. A Clinical Master Herbalist and Certified Nutritionist, Donnie is renowned for his extraordinary knowledge and deep understanding of the healing properties of plants and nutrition, as well as of epigenetics, laboratory medicine, oncologic pathology, and molecular oncology. He is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, National Association of Nutrition Professionals, Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, and the Society for Integrative Oncology.