Tireless breast cancer activist Helen Muscat, who passed away in October, was constantly on Betty Lee’s mind as she coordinated Malta’s first complementary and integrated medicine centre set to open in November.
“Helen had a huge influence on me. We were close friends.
“We helped each other when we were battling breast cancer,” Ms Lee, who also forms part of the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, said.
“When she became terminally ill, she wanted to have complementary therapies that made her feel good and in an environment which resembled more of a home or a boutique hotel rather than a hospital.”
Biovalley, located in Burmarrad and forming part of the Saint James Hospital Group, will be combining a conventional clinic – including dentistry and optical services – with a well-being centre offering a list of complementary therapies. The environment is pleasing to the eye and invites a sense of relaxation, with the walls painted in muted tones and decorated with soft carpets and lit candles.
Ms Lee said that among the therapies offered, which were aimed at helping people feel good, there will be yoga, Pilates and Thai Chi, hypnotherapy, homeopathy (a system of complementary medicine in which ailments are treated by minute doses of natural substances that in larger amounts would produce symptoms of the ailment), acupuncture (where fine needles are inserted into the skin at specific points), reflexology (a system of massage used to relieve tension and treat illness) and colonic hydrotherapy (flushing out the colon).
Further therapies that will be offered include psychotherapy and life coaching, which Ms Lee feels is very important as the families of people battling cancer are often not given enough support.
“It’s often all very clinical but relatives need support.
“Even a five-year-old can be affected; he knows something is wrong but doesn’t quite understand what’s happening,” she said.
While the centre will be open to everyone, Ms Lee hopes to have a one stop shop for cancer patients, especially breast cancer patients, which will sell wigs, external breast prosthesis, specially designed bras and swimwear and chemical-free make-up. Biovalley will also incorporate a phytopharmacy, which is essentially a pharmacy for natural, plant-based remedies.
“It’s like a dream come true for me. We’ve been working on such an idea where people are given a wide range of choices under one roof for years. Helen told me that one day we’ll manage but she knew she wouldn’t live to see it. Finally, our baby has been born.”
Ms Lee is the coordinator of Biovalley and Brian Bondin is CEO.