GROVELAND / REGIONAL – Lance Blais, a popular handyman who lives in Groveland, was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago. The Army veteran had a portion of a lung removed and began chemotherapy treatments.
At three-week intervals, when he went for his treatment at the Lahey Clinic in Peabody, he found the other patients and many of the staff, “moping about.”
“I couldn’t stand it. I had to do something,” Blais said. He turned to his lifetime of skills, including sewing, for a way to turn those frowns upside down.
At his next appointment in October, he wore one of his favorite Halloween costumes. He walked into the Lahey linic as an elderly woman with large dentures, pink hair curlers under a bright pink scarf, wearing a housedress and stuffed bra.
“It worked. Everybody loved it,” he said.
He decided he would come to all of his chemo sessions dressed in a costume. To celebrate the month or season, he wore costumes he designed and made himself.
In his mid-70s, Lance came to have the drugs inserted into the permanent port in his chest dressed as a surgeon, a valentine in February, a leprechaun in March, the Easter bunny in April, wearing a top hat to honor mothers in May and for June, he dressed as a circus clown.
A Navajo, whose company is the All-American Handyman, drove his three-wheel motorcycle down Interstate 95 to the clinic in July to celebrate the Fourth of July. The motorcycle is decked out in a red, white and blue patriotic theme. The staff scheduled his appointment late in the afternoon so he could take the nurses and technicians for a ride.
In August, Lance, who once owned a bakery in Danvers, came as a baker and brought cookies he baked for the patients and staff. In September, the back-to-school month, he came to the clinic as Steve Urkel, the TV character from the sitcom Family Matters. In November, he dressed as a turkey, and of course, in December, he entertained as Santa.
Along with the costumes, Lance brings gifts, Easter eggs or Christmas gifts.
“Now, they are happy when they see me,” he said in a major understatement.
This month, he handed out calendars he produced for the new year. Each month has photographs of the costumed handyman with the nurses.
The calendars made everyone so happy, the clinic asked Lance if it could pay for him to make 50 more. They plan to give them to patients who are scheduled for treatment on days other than Lance’s appointment day.
“It makes me so happy. It’s my reward,” he said. “Everybody knows my name.”
The Lahey staff believes the calendars of the costumed Blais will cheer up patients who have not gotten to see him in person.
Next month, the native Navajo Indian plans to go to his treatment as a Native American in authentic clothing and jewelry from his heritage.
Lance Blais can be reached at 978-836-9719. ♦
