Maryam's values and characteristics, include a strong intellect, integrity, creativity and personal energy to effectively engage staff and motivate those with whom she comes in contact. She possesses the ability to identify issues and opportunities and can develop alternative methods in order to achieve consensus. She has a passion for vulnerable populations and is constantly strategizing about better ways to meet the needs of targeted groups.

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From an early age, Maryam has been an advocate for others around her. Conceivably it was her fellow classmates who were too poor to purchase school supplies, or the ones that could not participate in sports, because their parents could not afford a pair of sneakers for their child. She clearly remembers telling her mother and father at dinner time that she was disappointed with the way things were at her local elementary school. The less fortunate children were made fun of as they were punished for not having the right tools to do their school work. In Iran, school children and their parents are responsible for paying for their school supplies. There are no vouchers and there is no welfare system. When Maryam voiced her concern to her parents, they in turn told her to take this up with the school principal.

As a lifelong advocate for others MaryAm founded the Cancer Coping Center and Swap With A Purpose.

Mission of the Cancer Coping Center: To enhance and improve the quality of life for cancer patients, family members and caregivers through creativity.

The Cancer Coping Center is a 100% volunteer run agency in which the volunteers seek to relieve the suffering of those afflicted with cancer by providing coping strategies for cancer patients, their family members and caregivers. As a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the Cancer Coping Center offers, free of charge, programs and services, which use expressive arts to serve as a mechanism for coping. Its initial programs involve visual arts in which teams of two volunteer facilitators lead a group in a visual arts project. These activities occur in waiting rooms, support groups, health fairs, and summer camp.

The Cancer Coping Center’s trained volunteer facilitators enable patients, family members or caregivers to experience the creative process arising from a visual arts project. In this way, participants may experience a sense of accomplishment and feelings of control while “creating.” By “working through” a creative process, participants take an active role in the quality of their own well being.

The Cancer Coping Center programs are designed to be taken to healthcare facilities specifically to comprehensive cancer centers and to cancer support groups. The measurable outcomes may consists of, but are not limited to enhancing the patient's quality of life, making available a venue for family members to express their anger, grief, distress, and sadness, and providing an emotional outlet for both caregivers and patients. Incidentally, a living legacy in art form is created in the process.

Cancer is a devastating disease impacting patients, their loved ones and the caregivers. Our current health system focuses on disease prevention and control but overlooks its effect on the person's humanity. A holistic and humanistic approach to patient care is our focus.

We offer coping strategies through creative expression. We make available trained volunteer facilitators who provide a creative process for patients, family members, and caregivers to give them the option to work through their feelings, thoughts, and emotions, which are otherwise overlooked in the pursuit of prolonging life.

Through creativity, the Cancer Coping Center seeks to enhance the quality of life for patients, their families and caregivers. In this way, all stakeholders are actively involved in a creative process which augments patient-centered care. Our program is designed to be taken to the facilities. There is no fee in participating in our program. Ultimately, a living legacy in art form is created in the process while all stakeholders are actively engaged in their own quality of life.

About Dr. Maryam Davodi Far

Maryam's values and characteristics, include a strong intellect, integrity, creativity and personal energy to effectively engage staff and motivate those with whom she comes in contact. She possesses the ability to identify issues and opportunities and can develop alternative methods in order to achieve consensus. She has a passion for vulnerable populations and is constantly strategizing about better ways to meet the needs of targeted groups. To read more about her accomplishments, visit www.activepatients.com

Education

• Dr. Maryam Davodi Far completed her doctoral work at the University of La Verne with an emphasis in health care administration. Master's degree in healthcare administration
• Bachelors degree in Anthropology from the University of California in San Diego.
• Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Chapman University.
• Trained Volunteer Mediator through the San Diego Mediation Center
• Residential Care Facility for the Elderly California License.
• She has served as a chief executive officer for a community clinic in San Diego.
• Her professional experiences include providing leadership in managing diverse programs and services, collaborating with other nonprofit and for profit agencies, community organizations, businesses and private citizens.

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