Who does the Fund support?

Funding is available for individuals whose insurance does not cover nutritional support and counseling while undergoing treatment at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute.

For more information, please contact: Betsy Brown, Director of Oncology Services, 814-333-5215

Support Nourishing Recovery: The LouAnn Flick Memorial Fund by making a tax-deductible online donation.

Who was LouAnn Flick?

For Louise Ann (LouAnn) Flick, nourishing others was truly a way of life. Whether it was nourishment from food cooked with love, her contagious smile, or her heartfelt and empathetic words, she exemplified the meaning of selflessness, constantly putting the feelings and needs of others before her own, no matter what the circumstance. She had a genuine concern for others, especially those who were facing tough times.

LouAnn graduated from Seton Hill College in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dietetics. She completed her Master's Degree in Dietetics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1996. She worked for 35 years as a Territory Business Manager and was a Registered Dietician, working with infant health care professionals to address the nutritional needs of children from infants to toddlers.

In 1996, LouAnn was diagnosed with breast cancer and after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, it went into remission a year later. She was cancer free for 13 years until being diagnosed with primary peritoneal cancer (a form of ovarian cancer) in 2010. After four courageous years of treatment and surgeries, LouAnn passed away on December 13, 2014 at home surrounded by her family. Including her husband, Alan, and children, Amanda (Andrew), Mike (Lauren), and Alex.

The mantra LouAnn lived by and often shared with others was to "control the controllables." She believed that we are all faced with many trials and hardships in life but to stress about things over which we have no control is not time well spent. A major controllable factor in a person's life is their nutrition and what they feed their body. This was a passion for LouAnn and she spent time speaking to many local groups including scouting troops and high school sports teams about the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet.

In addition to speaking publicly about the importance of nutrition, she was dedicated to being a resource for those who were dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. She was an active member of the Looking Ahead Breast Cancer Support Group, sharing her experiences and insight during meetings and in conversations with group members outside of the meetings as well. She was a listening ear for all those who were scared and unsure of what their diagnosis would bring, both on topics related to nutrition and otherwise.

Even while facing her own treatments, she focused her energy on offering support and encouragement to those who were fighting an illness of their own. She was always so grateful for the support and love of the members of the Looking Ahead Breast Cancer Support Group and made it her mission to provide the same reassurance and hope to those who had little.

LouAnn's family is indebted to the dedicated professionals at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute, Meadville Medical Center, and Hospice of Crawford County for the compassionate, attentive, and expert care she received. Meadville is truly blessed to have these organizations as part of the community. Nourishing Recovery, The LouAnn Flick Memorial Fund was established to support two of LouAnn's passions - supporting cancer patients undergoing treatment and nutrition. Proper nourishment can have a significant impact on a patient's well-being and quality of life while undergoing treatment. The nutrition counseling offered to patients through the dieticians at the Mind-Body Wellness Center is an excellent resource for patients to receive advice and support for making good nutritional decisions during and after treatment.

LouAnn's warmth and kindness will live on through the counseling the fund makes possible - nourishing cancer patients as they travel the path to recovery.