Kansas City “chair-ity” lifts women up during their breast cancer journey

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Peace Out Cancer “Chair-ity” is a Kansas City nonprofit helping people through their cancer battles.

The grassroots organization is run by two local women, Amy Scanlon-Taitt and Marcia Moroney. Peace Out Cancer provides recliner lift chairs to cancer patients. So far, they say they’ve helped around 2,000.

“So far we’ve never turned somebody down for a chair,” said Moroney.

The chair lifts patients so they don’t have to use their arms. This is something they can’t do following surgery because of incision marks and drainage tubes.

For Loni Norwood, she wasn’t aware of that when she got her cancer diagnosis. She said Peace Out Cancer made her recovery easy.

“I didn’t know anything about the breast cancer journey. I didn’t know anything about drains and what post-surgery looked like,” said Norwood. “I kept the chair for about three weeks. It was a lifesaver. I didn’t have to strain. My movement was already so limited… I needed help.”

When patients get the chair, they can keep it for a few weeks during recovery. Along with the chair, is a notebook. Previous sitters have written their thoughts and stories for the next person to read.

Friday, Oct. 4 at the Loews Hotel, Peace Out Cancer is hosting a fundraiser to continue providing this service. Tickets are $35 and can be bought here.

To learn more about the nonprofit, visit their website.

KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.