WVU Cancer Institute provides pediatric cancer, infusion care to the Eastern Panhandle
Martinsburg family shares how less travel, familiar faces make a difference in their son's cancer care
For families facing childhood cancer, every mile matters.
Since being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in 2024, Martinsburg teenager Lucas Adams and his family have spent countless hours traveling between the Eastern Panhandle and Morgantown for treatment at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s.
From blood work and infusions to hospital stays and routine follow-up appointments, the nearly three-hour drive became a regular part of life for the Adams family.
“It’s stressful enough already,” said father, Vance Adams. “Then you add the travel, the missed work, the gas, the hotel stays and time away from your family. It all adds up.”
Now, WVU Medicine is working to make parts of that journey easier for families in the Eastern Panhandle by expanding pediatric infusion services at WVU Cancer Institute Medicine Berkeley Medical Center.
Lucas is among the first pediatric patients treated through the center’s growing pediatric infusion capabilities. While specialized cancer treatments still take place in Morgantown, certain services like blood draws and follow-up care can now be performed closer to home.
“Patients who receive chemotherapy often need additional supportive care, requiring additional medical visits. When the pediatric team identified that blood work from Lucas was critical, we were able to provide him with the blood transfusions he needed close to home," said Samantha Spearing, Regional Director of Cancer Services in the Eastern Panhandle. "By offering pediatric infusion services, we are not only supporting patients medically; we support them by lessening travel, time off work, and time away from family and the comforts of home."
For the Adams family, even small changes have made a meaningful impact.
“There were times we’d drive all the way to Morgantown just for a blood transfusion or a quick treatment,” Vance said. “If you can cut out even a few of those trips each year, it makes a difference.”
The family says having familiar faces involved in the process helped make the transition easier. Nurses and staff at Berkeley Medical Center work closely with pediatric specialists at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s to coordinate care and provide support locally whenever possible.
“It’s good knowing everyone is communicating,” Vance said. “You know the people here are connected with the team in Morgantown.”
While Lucas has benefited from receiving some treatments closer to home, his mother, Rachel Adams, says the impact extends far beyond their own family.
“This will be more convenient for a lot of other families,” she said. “The big picture here is that it will continue to improve and make so many other families’ lives easier.”
As pediatric services continue to expand in the Eastern Panhandle, families will be able to receive more routine treatments, lab work and supportive care closer to home. For parents balancing jobs, school schedules and the emotional weight of a child’s diagnosis, even reducing a handful of trips each year can make a meaningful difference.
“Anything that helps these kids and their families is worth it,” Vance said. “Because this changes everything for a family.”