Profiles of courage, caring, and commitment

Profile of courage Allen Lariviere

As part of the inaugural Dempsey Challenge in October, 2009, Allen Lariviere was recognized as Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Survivor award winner. The award honors individuals who demonstrate a passion for survivorship by helping others diagnosed with cancer.

Mr. Lariviere is a lung cancer survivor and, through his tireless fundraising efforts, brought oncology treatment directly to the Rumford community at Rumford Hospital. Almost single-handedly, he raised the funds necessary to open the Lariviere Oncology Suite at Rumford Hospital. The suite opened in 1999 and was dedicated to his son, David, who passed away from renal cancer in 1995.

Motivated by his son’s experience with metastatic renal cancer as a young man in his 30’s, Lariviere was determined to give back to the cancer community in his son’s memory. Well aware that people in rural, Rumford often have to travel over 40 miles to seek cancer care at Central Maine Medical Center, Lariviere began his mission to provide a local center for cancer care.

After a discussion with John Welch, president of Rumford Hospital, in 1998, it became clear to Lariviere what needed to be done. “I knew that I would be the one to make that happen,” he said. “I have never fundraised before but felt a strong calling to do this; once I started I never let up. I asked all my family, friends, business colleagues, anyone who wanted to help.”

After much help and many generous donations, the new clinic was opened and dedicated in 1999, one year after Lariviere began his mission, As word spread and more patients utilized the clinic for their cancer care, the original space quickly became crammed and it was realized that they had successfully outgrown their space.

In 2002, Lariviere mobilized support once again and within one year a newer, larger clinic was opened to serve the community. In their current clinic, thousands of patients are seen by Dr. Nicholette Erickson every year and treated with various therapies by the staff of the Lariviere Oncology Suite, including Lariviere, who continues to receive his cancer care at the very clinic that he created.

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