A new, shiny brass bell with a white knotted rope is mounted on the wall at North Florida Regional Medical Center’s Cancer Center.
Twelve rings from the brass bell signified the end of cancer treatment for four patients Wednesday afternoon at the Cancer Center. The bell was donated anonymously and serves as an incentive — once a patient has completed treatment, he or she can ring the bell, said Walter Behnert, the Cancer Center’s director.
Next to the bell is a plaque that reads: “Ringing Out. Ring the bell, Three times well, Its toll to clearly say. My treatment’s done, My course is run, And I am on my way.”
“When you ring this bell, you’re calling us out to celebrate your battle,” Behnert said.
Having a bell for patients to ring after completing treatment is a common tradition in many hospitals. Patients at UF Health Shands Hospital’s Davis Cancer Pavilion also ring a celebratory bell when they complete their final treatment.
Behnert said he got the idea for a bell from his former job as operations manager of Georgia Health Sciences Health System in Augusta, Georgia.
Dr. Allison Grow, a radiation oncologist, said a large part of cancer care comes via technology, but patient care is a big component. She said the staff’s support is a valuable asset for patients.
Dawn Delaney, who is being treated for breast cancer, said the staff’s care made her treatments easier. She hugged one of her nurses before she rang the bell.
Delaney joked that she rang the bell as a warm-up. She was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and officially completes her treatment in about a week.
Ringing the bell was exciting, she said.
“It gives you something to look forward to,” she said.
Delaney said her faith in God helped her get through radiation treatment. Next week, she hopes her family will join her when she rings the bell again to symbolize her new, cancer-free life.
“It’ll mean the end of my treatment journey and it’ll be the start of a healthy journey.”