Lindsey Morris
Cancer is an overwhelming and difficult disease to navigate, and it becomes even more challenging when a patient loses the ability to speak without pain, or in some cases, loses the ability to speak altogether.
“We have many patients who are unable to speak from laryngectomies or severe mucositis. It is very hard to communicate with these patients and very discouraging to them to not be able to communicate,” said Shannon Williams, a Radiation Oncology nurse at the Georgia Cancer Center and Wellstar MCG Health.
A laryngectomy is a surgery that removes parts, or all, of the voice box and throat, while severe mucositis is a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation that causes a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes.
Team members at the GCC’S Radiation Clinic, including William Grubb, MD, Williams, Barbara McFarland, Amber Moore, Traci Talman, Kara Prior, Candice Benning, and Becky Hattaway, hated seeing their patients struggle to communicate.
Grubb wanted to find a way for patients to communicate not just with their care team, but also with their friends and family. In searching for solutions, they came across Boogie Boards, a reusable writing tablet with pressure sensitive writing surface that can be easily erased with a touch of a button. With their light-weight design and clip on stylus, they were the perfect choice for patients.
“It was important to us that the tool we chose was high quality and would last our patients for a long time. We want patients to be able to take them home and use them wherever they are to communicate. A lot of our patients do not have expandable income, so a tool like this one was not previously an option for them, until now.”
To purchase the Boogie Boards, the team submitted their grant application ‘Boogie Boards for Non-Verbal Head and Neck Cancer Patients’ to Unite in the Fight Against Cancer. Unite in the Fight Against Cancer is an annual community celebration honoring all who have been affected by this disease, while raising funds for patient-centered programs, just like this one.
Thanks to Unite, 250 Boogie Boards were purchased for patient use.
“It is great to know that we are providing access to a tool that helps patients be able to ask questions and receive information in a way that meets their needs. Our hope is that they will find a sense of personal freedom and independence being able to communicate with people.”
If you would like to learn more about this program, follow us on Facebook to be kept up to date on it and the other programs funded by Unite in the Fight Against Cancer. Unite in the Fight Against Cancer will be held on May 2, 2026. You can find more information by visiting our website and Facebook event page. We encourage all to join us in support of all who fight against cancer every day.
Chris Curry