At our 347 Port Jefferson office, you're greeted by more than just the usual smiling faces and warm "hellos". In every corner, you'll find a perched duck. Some are made of rubber, others of glass. Some wear hats and sunglasses, while others have googly eyes and glitter. Some are just regular rubber ducks. Serving as small friends to keep you company during your treatments, these ducks have become symbols of something much more than bath time. They've created the "347 Healing Pond".
The collection began when staff member Tiffany, the Infusion Unit Coordinator, placed the first duck on her desk. It was 72-year-old patient Alicia, however, who recognized its charm and transformed a single desk ornament into an entire flock of ducks.
Alicia's journey with New York Cancer & Blood Specialists began in late 2020, following a colonoscopy, which revealed she had Stage 4 colorectal cancer. Alicia's life was turned upside down. Having been a student for most of her life, days formerly filled with studying and college assignments were now taken over by doctors' visits, surgeries, and treatment days. Like many of our patients, Alicia became a familiar face in our infusion center and quickly became part of our New York Cancer & Blood Specialists family. The care team began to know her name, remembered her upcoming procedures, and offered steady encouragement throughout every step of her journey. "They know you as a person," Alicia says. "They're rooting for you to do well." It was during one of her visits that she noticed Tiffany had a rubber duck sitting on her computer. This sparked an idea that would soon become an office staple, redefining the 347 office for good.
Alicia's personal duck collection began when she was a newborn, after receiving a Donald Duck as a cradle gift from her father. Although it didn't mean much to her, it gave her daughter an idea to begin gifting her rubber ducks. Whether it was a random Tuesday or a special holiday, the ducks kept paddling in. Eventually, they amounted to a collection that Alicia would stash on her bathroom shelf. It wasn't until Alicia noticed Tiffany's duck that she decided to give her idle collection a new purpose.
Week after week, Alicia brought in various ducks for Tiffany. It wasn't long until 1 duck became 2, 2 became 20, and 20 became 200. Patients, staff, visitors, and just about anyone who entered the 347 office had caught on to Alicia's tradition and began to bring in their own ducks. Seemingly overnight, the 347 infusion center became a fully-formed duck pond.
The 347 Healing Pond is more than just a rubber duck museum. Within the four walls of our infusion center, something very special happens every day. Patients navigating chemotherapy and procedures somehow still find joy here. You'll find them looking around the office, hoping to find a tiny duck friend to watch over them during those challenging moments. "You can't help but smile when you walk in, and you see all these ducks," Alicia says. The silly faces, crazy costumes, and tiny details on the ducks surrounding each patient provide a simple sense of relief. To Alicia, however, the most profound healing properties of our office are sourced beyond the decor, "More than the ducks, it's the people here," she says. Alicia found something at New York Cancer & Blood Specialists that she hadn't at other practices: a team that cared about her outside of the information listed on her patient chart. She knew she'd found the right place when Dr. Guigova, her oncologist, jumped in celebration of one of Alicia's positive test results. "That's the kind of doctor you want, jumping up and down because the scan results were good."
The impact of Alicia's ducks has spread from our Port Jefferson office throughout New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, paddling forward a powerful message: you are not alone in this fight. From our staff to fellow patients, visitors, and more, at New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, you have more than just a group of physicians supporting you. You have a family to look after you. We know the cancer journey is challenging, perhaps one of the most difficult challenges you've faced so far. Nonetheless, there is always something positive just around the corner. Maybe it's your loved one waiting for you at home after treatment, or your care team celebrating your wins, or maybe it's a little rubber duck staring at you when you least expect it. Next time you're in for an appointment or treatment, remember the 347 Healing Pond along with Alicia's message, "There is always a reason to smile."