The Showalter family has pledged a remarkable $1 million in the next several years to support the new Twila Showalter Supportive Care Clinic at the Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center.
The pledge serves as a lead gift as the RMH Foundation begins fundraising efforts to provide the resources needed for a significant expansion and transformation of the RMH Foundation’s Hope Fund for Cancer Care.
“The Hahn Cancer Center was a tremendous support to us. The staff members here are incredibly kind and committed,” says Larry Showalter, whose wife, Twila, died Dec. 28, 2017, from colon cancer at the age of 58. Twila, a resident of Penn Laird, fought bravely for three-and-a-half years and received care at Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center.
She was well-known as a strong person who loved her family and lived life to the fullest. Since she died, Larry and their three children have dedicated themselves to honoring Twila and supporting patients in their fight against cancer.
“We are motivated by Twila’s memory of serving others,” says Brandy Painter, Twila’s daughter. “Being able to honor her life the way we’ve been able to through fundraising has been such an uplifting experience. We want to make her proud.”
In 2024, the Showalter Cancer Fund donated $25,000, bringing their total contributions since 2018 to $100,000. The annual gifts are made around Twila’s birthday on Aug. 12.
“It’s been healing to be able to give back to the community,” Larry Showalter said. “It’s a way to take something that’s horrible and make it beautiful.”
The cancer mortality rate in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County exceeds that of Virginia as a whole. Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center administers over 19,000 treatments annually.
“The hope is to honor Twila’s memory by supporting and strengthening those who are facing the same life altering struggle as we did,” says Jason Wagner, Twila’s son.
The RMH Foundation’s Hope Fund for Cancer Care, established in 2016, aims to bring hope and healing to cancer patients in the community. With the pledge, the Twila Showalter Supportive Care Clinic broadens the scope of care to serve more patients and provide additional services. The clinic will expand to include more cancer prevention screenings for underserved populations and will help patients during their treatment by giving them access to resources such as travel and medication assistance, individual counseling and many other comfort items and services.
The new clinic strives to treat the person, not the patient and will continue to follow them through post-cancer maintenance and recovery period.
“The Twila Showalter Supportive Care Clinic will be a beacon of hope for people fighting cancer throughout our community,” Cory Davies, executive director of the RMH Foundation, said. “We are profoundly grateful to the Showalter family for the transformative impact their kindness, compassion, and dedication will have on our community for years to come, and we look forward to joining with other donors to bring this vision to fruition.”
The Showalter Cancer Fund has garnered community support through a three-day holiday basketball tournament at Spotswood High School and contributions from the Great Community Give event. Larry Showalter and his family are thrilled to have met their initial $100,000 goal and are excited about the long-term impact of the Twila Showalter Supportive Care Clinic.
“My mother was the definition of living life to the fullest before the diagnosis, during the cancer treatments and close to the end of her life,” says Amber Sabbatini, Twila’s daughter. “The Twila Showalter Supportive Care Clinic will add life to the years of the patients who come to the clinic throughout all stages of their journey.”
Support for the Twila Showalter Supportive Care Clinic enhances early disease detection, expedites necessary treatments and paves a stronger path to recovery. The Hahn Cancer Center’s case manager works closely with patients to address their needs comprehensively, ensuring responsible use of the funds.
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Rebecca Barnabi
