‘Hope Bells’ initiative honors former Brown Cancer Center patient, ‘Hope Scarves’ founder

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The UofL Health Brown Cancer Center is honoring a former patient who redefined hope during cancer treatments.

The new “Hope Bells” installation, featuring bells and a memorial plaque, were created for “Hope Scarves” founder and former Brown Cancer Center patient Lara MacGregor and will be featured at UofL Health’s downtown and Medical Center Northeast facilities.

MacGregor used “Hope Scarves” to lift spirits for cancer patients by providing them with a scarf and a note of encouragement from a woman who faced cancer.

UofL Health said MacGregor also tried to change the message for the ringing bells at the cancer center, looking to ring the bell for every chemo infusion or other accomplishments during treatment.

“One of her greatest contributions was granting us the opportunity to view hope through her unique and beautiful lens,” Whitney Pitman, a nurse practitioner on Lara’s care team said in a release. “She made hope feel real and tangible and attainable. She taught us how to balance hope and fear, and she infused the gift of hope into everyone she encountered including caregivers, cancer center staff and most importantly, individuals living with a metastatic cancer diagnosis.”

MacGregor died in January 2022 after a long battle with metastatic breast cancer. UofL Health said the new installation will be used to continue to view hope through MacGregor’s lens and to remember her spirit.

The bells and plaques used in the installation was donated to the Brown Cancer Center by MacGregor’s father, Art Plewka.

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