Who Is Betty Garrett?
 Betty
Garrett holds a business management degree from LeTourneau
University and has more than 32 years of experience in the
training, hospitality and travel industries.
Her company, Garrett Speakers International, is a full-service
professional speaker bureau that matches the right keynote
speakers and trainers with meetings, conventions and seminars.
Garrett has won numerous industry awards locally and internationally.
In 2003, her husband Gene was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Garrett was his primary caregiver and battled alonside him.
When the cancer came back a year later, she decided this time
she needed additional support for herself.
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, where Gene was
undergoing treatment, did not offer a support group strictly
for caregivers. Garrett looked further and realized there were
plenty of groups for patients and caregivers, but she didn’t
want her husband to know how overwhelming, frustrating and
devastating this journey was for her.
In July 2004, Garrett worked with staff to develop the hospital’s
Support Group for Family and Friends of Cancer Patients. Designed
especially for caregivers, members were given a forum to discuss
their challenges and victories and to walk away knowing they
had support, too.
Though Gene died in November 2004, Garrett continues to share
her knowledge with others. Her passion is to develop and establish
support groups through Caregivers4Cancer to assist family and
friends caring for a cancer patient. These support groups
offer caregivers the coping skills required to advocate for
and nurture their loved ones as well as themselves. Plus,
Betty’s training sessions for the oncology team in assisting
the cancer caregiver are based upon her physical journey as
well as advice from medical authorities, attorneys, financial
counselors, hospice workers and organizations devoted to cancer
research. |
