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Following the Life and Style of Austin, Anne Hudson is Fashionably Yours every Friday with tips on how to look your best. From what’s hot during swimsuit season to the latest trends for prom, Hudson shows you what works and what you need to toss out of your closet. Tune in on Wednesday's to Style Guide and find fashion events happening all around Central Texas.


03/01/2013 10:43 AM

Healthy Living: Simplifying Lives helps people with cancer

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When Nicole Wilson saw firsthand how difficult cancer can be, she wanted to help. The result was the creation of Simplifying Lives, a free cleaning service for people with cancer who need help.

"My grandmother always had it together. She had a clean house, kept it clean,” Wilson said. “It was difficult for her when she had cancer and she couldn't do it anymore.”

Recipients of the service have said it really helps them. One such recipient is Vickye Eckert, who has stage four lymphoma of the bone marrow. She said her treatment often left her tired and unable to complete even the simplest of tasks.

"I was feeling so overwhelmed,” Eckert said. “I couldn't clean the bathroom. I couldn't do anything. I could do a tiny bit and had to sit down and rest.”

Wilson said she is happy to help in any way she can and sees Simplifying Lives as a way to allow patients to pay attention to more important things.

"I don't know how to find a cure for cancer or help them through the difficult time in their life, but I do know how to clean. And through that, it definitely helped them relieve stress and focus on what was most important, which was their health," Wilson said.

The crew goes in for six three-hour visits and focuses on what needs to get done.

“Most people choose bathrooms, of course, because of germ factor, dusting floors, kitchen – things like that," Wilson said.

While the objective is for the cleaning crew to clean the house, the end result is much more.

“I live alone and have no family here,” said Eckert. “I really was too sick to go out so I'd talk with the girls. I’d try not to bother them too much, but it was nice to have someone here to have that communication.”

For more information, visit www.simplifyinglives.org.