Donna Harvey has two priorities: homeschooling her two daughters, age 9 and 12, and getting treatment for her cancer so she can get healthy.
The chemotherapy drugs zap her energy, so cleaning the Springfield Township home she shares with husband Scott and the girls takes more strength than she can muster most days.
When a friend called to say she’d heard about a company providing free housecleaning services to women with cancer, Harvey was more than happy to accept the offer.
Once a month, employees from Clarkston Cleaning Service arrive to lend a hand.
‘They’ve been a lifesaver,? Harvey said. ‘They’re doing a great job, and it’s been really helpful because they’re doing things that are difficult for me to do right now, like floors, bathrooms, and cleaning appliances.?
It’s nice, she said, to look around after the girls leave and see how everything sparkles, instead of looking at a house that needs cleaning.
‘It’s been so uplifting for me to know these things are done and I don’t have to worry about it,? she said.
Diagnosed eight years ago with breast cancer, Harvey underwent successful treatment. But three years ago, she said, the cancer came back. Again she underwent successful treatment
Now it’s back a third time.
‘It was never past stage one before, it was just localized,? she said. ‘This time it spread to my bones and liver this time, so we’re treating it much more aggressively.?
But the aggressive treatment requires powerful drugs, and her energy levels are low.
‘It makes me very, very tired,? she said. ‘My bones and joints get achy. Ibuprofen usually helps, so it’s just the fatigue.?
Every month, she does three weeks of chemo, then has a week off.
‘In my week off I bounce back pretty well and I pretty much function normally,? she said. ‘But when I’m actually doing chemo, I’m wiped out.?
It’s something Dawn Raffler, who owns Clarkston Cleaning Service, understands.
‘I’ve had family members who went through cancer treatments,? she said. ‘When you’re doing radiation and chemotherapy, you don’t have a lot of energy for anything, especially cleaning the house.?
But cancer treatments or not, she noted, people still want to live in a clean home.
‘Women are the ones who really stress over it,? she said. ‘They’re thinking ‘Oh, my best friend is coming over and the house is a mess.?
So when Raffler heard about Cleaning for a Reason, a national non-profit organization , she signed on.
The group, headquartered near Dallas, Texas, currently partners with 370 companies, many just like Raffler’s, in 43 states.
In addition to Harvey’s home, Raffler’s employees are cleaning for one other Clarkston woman.
But, she said, she’s prepared to take on more if the need arises.
‘The girls love it,? Raffler said. ‘They keep telling me it feels so good to do something nice for these women. A lot of them have lost someone to cancer, so they’re happy to help.?
The free service is available to women with cancer who live in the Clarkston area and have a Clarkston mailing address.
For more information, call Clarkston Cleaning Service at 248-620-9410.
Check for providers in other areas at cleaningforareason.org