Today we’d like to introduce you to Traci Daly-Smith.
Hi Traci, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Oncology massage and esthetics became a necessity in my profession when a client of mine developed esophageal cancer. After she was diagnosed, she stopped coming to see me for her weekly appointments. When we finally spoke, I could hear the despair and fear in her voice. Her family abandoned her because they couldn’t handle seeing her sick.
At that moment, all I wanted to do was make her feel better and treat whatever issues she was having. I immediately sought the best training. The experience and knowledge I gained from Oncology Spa Solutions and Founder Becky Kuehn as well as Oncology Massage from Tracy Walton were amazing and invaluable to me. How could I have been practicing for 20 years and not have all this knowledge? The oncology massage and esthetics training would allow me to continue in my practice with being prepared to safely treat any of my clients facing a diagnosis.
After the training, I knew I wanted to treat more than just my clients. I felt there was a bigger purpose speaking to me based on the events and people that had been aligned in my life. Most patients didn’t think they could receive treatments during or after their diagnosis by an oncology-trained esthetician. As I practiced my new skill on volunteer cancer patients, I heard about their journeys.
Each story was completely different, but each shared a common variable—financial hardship. If the patient had experienced facials before their diagnosis, it was the first thing they cut out of their budget afterward.
My passion for helping these patients grew, and I wanted each and every one of them to have the opportunity to receive treatments free or at a low cost during their journey. It was important to me to include the survivors and caregivers too. The survivors deal with side effects from their past treatments and medications that, unfortunately, can last a lifetime.
The caregivers are always giving to their loved ones, and taking a break to get pampered and restored is a necessity that allows them to continue supporting their loved ones. In 2017, through the guidance and mentorship of Holly Brown, founder and executive director of Looking and Feeling FAB, my non-profit, A New Daly Beginning, was born. Holly has been running her non-profit in Whitman, Massachusetts, for five successful years and it is the first of its kind in the US.
The mission of A New Daly Beginning is to provide cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers with a variety of therapeutic treatments and services that facilitate healing and support the journey toward recovery and wellness. We are a team of oncology-trained estheticians, massage therapists, and alternative therapists that want to make a difference.
A New Daly Beginning is supported 100 percent by donations, and the organization is creating relationships among the cancer hospitals and treatment centers in Georgia so they can provide these safe and effective treatments to their patients and survivors. The impact of blending western medicine and oncology esthetics can be life-changing for the patient.
My goal is for us to reach as many patients, survivors, and caregivers as we can in a lifetime. If you know someone in Georgia in need of our services, please refer them to www.anewdalybeginning.org. We look forward to caring for them.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Creating the non-profit vision and mission was the easy part. The challenging part is how to empower a board that believes and supports the mission and vision as well as continuously grow our reach to as many patients as we can.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Outside of being the executive director of the non-profit I am the campus president of the Atlanta School of Massage. I have been with the school for over 20 years in different capacities.
I am a graduate of the school in 1999 and have always felt a solid education and training is a big part of helping you achieve where you want to go within the vast profession. I have prided myself on wanting to make a difference in other people’s lives and I am doing this through multiple channels.
I feel is genuine, compassionate, transparent, open to change, and an active listener pays off.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking?
I think taking risks is part of how you grow mentally and professionally. I have taken several risks professionally and some have worked out and some were setbacks.
I have resigned from a position with a plan of partnering with someone and on my last day of work the partner backed out. Taking the leap to start the non-profit when I didn’t have any experience was scary and intimidating but if I didn’t we wouldn’t have helped all of the clients we have thus far.
Regardless of all the planning, and flawless execution there can be failures but that is what makes the successes so amazing.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.anewdalybeginning.org
- Instagram: @anewdalybeginning
- Facebook: @ANewDalyBeginning
Image Credits
Everardo Serrato
