Memorial Bricks Add Personalized Touch to New Cancer Center Serenity Garden

MORGANTON, N.C. (June 20, 2023) –

When UNC Health Blue Ridge’s $38 million Cancer Center opens in August, one of the special touches will be a serenity garden with a pathway paved in special bricks. These personalized bricks have been purchased in honor or memory of someone.

The stories behind the bricks are what makes them special.

“I was 21 years old when my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer,” said Leonora Mahoney, MBA, BSN, RN, Director of Emergency Services, Trauma and Behavioral Health. “He was the rock of our family and an incredible husband and father.”

By the time her father was diagnosed, the cancer had spread throughout his body, and treatment wouldn’t be an option. In the time he had left, Leonora’s father was able to make memories and enjoy the family before peacefully passing away at home. “Although my dad didn’t receive chemo or radiation, I know firsthand the impact these services can make for families and how lucky we are to provide these services locally,” she said. “I purchased a brick in my dad’s memory, knowing the impact this pathway will have for so many in our community.”

Christi Winebarger, MHS, Director of Women’s Services, lost her mother to cancer – only four months after the diagnosis.

“I purchased a brick in memory of my mother, Kathy Keenan, and to support the incredible work the Cancer Center does and all the lives that are touched by their care,” Winebarger said. “Everything in our world changed very rapidly over those four months. The support and care she was given by her team of oncologists, nurses, and, ultimately, Hospice were above, and beyond any expectation we could have had. I would not have been able to navigate the many decisions I had to make had it not been for their guidance and support, along with my family.”

Winebarger said her mother would have given all she had to support a good cause. “The morals and values that I learned from my mother will remain with me forever, so I will honor that by continuing to support those who make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families.”  

Not all bricks have been purchased for a person who battled cancer.

“I purchased a brick in honor of my leadership team and had it engraved with their names,” said Elisabeth Campbell-Wright, Executive Director of Diagnostic Services. “In my view, the garden will be there for many years to come, and what a great way to honor the leaders who have made many great contributions to our system.”

Most pavers have been installed at the Cancer Center, but the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation has bricks available for purchase. The facility is set to open in early August, and landscapers have been busy planting. The hope is that this outdoor garden will offer a peaceful place for patients, families, and caregivers to refresh or meditate.

Traci Riebel, the foundation’s Executive Director, encourages everyone to be a part of the new Cancer Center and leave their mark with a personalized paver.

“I am incredibly excited about the opening of the state-of-the-art Cancer Center and what it means for the communities we serve,” Riebel said. “Being able to provide high-quality cancer care right here in our local community is a blessing, and I know those walking this journey appreciate receiving treatment close to home. Through the years, the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation has played a vital role in supporting the Cancer Center and its patients in various ways. We are honored to help provide such a beautiful spot in an otherwise clinical setting for respite.”

If you would like to purchase a brick, please visit brhcfoundation.org and click Find Your Cause. The 4-by-8-inch bricks are $150 each and have room for three lines of 20 characters each. Also, under Find Your Cause, you’ll see other ways to support the Cancer Center or the foundation. A general fund supports the Cancer Center, a patient care fund assists cancer patients facing financial hardship, and a project fund helps with outreach and community efforts related to cancer.

UNC Health Blue Ridge (www.unchealthblueridge.org) is a not-for-profit community healthcare system, providing advanced healthcare and wellness services from more than 40 locations across a three-county region of Western North Carolina. The system includes one hospital with two locations, a wellness center, and a continuing care retirement community. Nearly 120 primary care physicians, physician specialists and extenders in the Blue Ridge Medical Group combine with other physicians on the Medical Staff to serve patients in the region. UNC Health Blue Ridge provides graduate medical education programs for medical school graduates and students in allopathic and osteopathic medicine. UNCBR is affiliated with UNC Health System (www.unchealthcare.org), a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill.