MaidPro Denton on Why Cleaning For A Reason?
By Clark Vaughan, CEO & Owner Clean Reflections, Inc. dba MaidPro Denton
Recently, I was asked the question “Why Cleaning For A Reason?” My answer is simple: It is the right thing to do. We give women, battling the horrific disease of cancer and its side effects, a little joy in their life. We take something off the To Do list. My reason is also found in my personal journey.
It’s 2 a.m. in the morning on September 21, 1973. The doctor has just pronounced my first wife of 14 years, Mary Kathryn, dead at the age of 36. It was just 10 months earlier in November that she was diagnosed with cancer. What followed were several trips to MD Anderson for tests, exploratory surgery, and many months of chemotherapy. Each treatment brought nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, and the loss of energy. The children, a 12-year daughter and an 8-year old son, and I did all we could to help keep Mary Kathryn’s spirits up and bring some joy into her life. One of our tasks was to clean the areas of our home she spent the most time in; she was to heal, not clean.
Now fast forward to May 18, 2009, my second wife Sharon has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctor had already made an appointment with a surgeon. The treatment suggested was a traditional cut, burn, and poison. At the same time, a trusted friend told us of an alternative treatment they had used. Sharon researched the doctor and talked to some of his patients and decided to go with the alternative. Exactly 90 days after treatment began, a CAT scan revealed no sign of a tumor.
In June of 2009, while attending an industry meeting, we met with Debbie Sardone, founder of Cleaning For A Reason. Honestly, it was a no brainer for us to partner with the foundation. At that time, our cleaning company was already a 19-year old janitorial and maid service. The idea of donating a priority clean to women undergoing cancer treatment was simply an honor.
It’s now May 4, 2011, the big “C” is back and this time it is stage four breast cancer and it has already spread to my wife’s lungs and bones. Doctors told us we had six months without treatment and eight months with treatment. Once again, we returned to our doctor with the alternative treatment. In July of that year, Sharon had a CAT scan, which showed no new growth. Then on June 8, 2012, on a return trip to Boston to finalize the conversion of our residential cleaning service to the MaidPro family, we were involved in an auto accident. My injuries turned out to be insignificant; however Sharon’s were life ending. On June 11, 2012, Sharon went home to be with the Lord.
I began with the question “Why Cleaning For A Reason?” The simple answer is it’s the right thing to do. Now that I have shared the impact that cancer has had on my life, you can better understand why Cleaning For A Reason is a great ministry. All of my staff who have cleaned for these ladies consider it an absolute honor to be of service for them. We at Maidpro will do our small part to not let this horrific disease win.
