KELLOGG — Christmas will likely be a less ornate one for Ed Bailey this year. 

His wife, Janice Bailey, was adamant about having festive yuletide décor in every room of their home in Elk Creek. But after she passed in July due to liver cancer, he’s been keeping busy and has made a new mission for himself to spread the word about the Shoshone Cancer Resource Center.

“We had been married for 57 years when I lost her. It would have been 58 this year, but we did good,” Bailey said.

Having never heard of the resource center before Janice’s diagnosis about three years ago, the Baileys didn’t know they could look to their own neighbors for help with transport costs until after they had been crossing the state line for care.

“She had gotten cancer, but I didn’t know anything about it. Nobody ever said there was something in Kellogg to help out with it. I was over at Deaconess Hospital one day and a nurse came up and said, ‘You know, you can get gas money and they’ll help you with this stuff,’” Bailey recalled.

Having easy transportation for rural health care can sometimes be a barrier to care, but the Baileys kept all the medical business in Spokane to better ensure the flow of information between doctors as Janice underwent chemo treatments. Ed had worked for much of his career at Dave Smith Motors and because of that background, he was comfortable with the regular drives through the mountain passes.

“We would go sometimes twice a week and sometimes just once a week. Sometimes we would have some other tests to do, but it was just simpler to keep everything over there where the doctor was,” Bailey said. 

Having the gas money vouchers through the Shoshone Cancer Resource Center during their travels for treatment was one less burden on the Baileys, and Ed has been eager to spread the word about the neighborly help his family received if it can reach the ears of others in need.

“They explain everything to you and the gas money was really really helpful. The people there are wonderful and I want more people to know about it. They said if I ever needed something, that they would help,” Bailey said.

Janice loved crocheting and bingo, and worked at the Kellogg Food Bank for many years helping others. She and Ed were high school sweethearts and they managed to go on several Alaskan cruises before her passing.

As the lymph nodes spread Janice’s cancer, nurses began to assist Ed with care and he was very proud of his caregiving skills. 

“I took care of her at home and when the nurses came in for care, they said they wanted to hire me. I did everything that I could do, I could only do so much. You don’t like to see anybody go, but you don’t like to see anybody suffer,” Bailey said.

The nonprofit Shoshone Cancer Resource Center is run by volunteers and is donation-funded. Donations are welcome at any time and can be dropped off at the Shoshone Cancer Resource Center at 204 Oregon St. in Kellogg, or by mail at P.O. Box 261, Kellogg, ID 83837.

If you or someone you know or love needs assistance with cancer-related prescription medications or gas coverage for treatments, contact them at 208-784-7017.