Woman's flower deliveries spread joy to cancer patients, those who treat them

HOUSTON (WPVI) -- We're a few days into Breast Cancer Awareness Month and no doubt you've seen the familiar pink ribbons. Along with those symbols of hope are thousands of inspirational stories, including Yvonne Dubra's.

Every day for the last six weeks has been the same for Dubra. She picks up boxes of leftover flowers donated by her favorite grocery and delivers them to patients at Baylor St. Luke's Radiation Center.

"It means a lot. It means the world to me because I've had a hand in strengthening somebody and encouraging them to go forward," Dubra said.

One patient there even left her a handwritten note.

"And she actually talked about how I helped her get through radiation, and that's the thing that brings tears to my eyes," Dubra said.

The blooms also go to caregivers.

"I gave the flowers to the wife of a patient who has no family here and her husband is being treated for a serious illness and the wife just started crying and just was so happy," said Valerie Baron with Baylor St. Luke's Radiation Therapy & Cyberknife Clinic.

Even the staff members get bouquets.

"It's a very sweet gesture. We have never had things like this happen before even though I've been in the business for 30 years," radiation oncologist Dr. Hsin Lu said.

So maybe it's the flowers and her faith that helped Dubra get to this day. After 16 rounds of chemo, a partial mastectomy, and six weeks of daily radiation, she is breast cancer free. The flowers helped her get through the battle.

"She took something that could have been devastating and turned it into something that gave her joy every day," Baron said.

And she plans to keep spreading that joy.

"I will keep delivering. As a matter of fact, they'll get flowers probably twice a week," Dubra said.