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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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Dangriga’s Vital Role in Belize’s Health Care System

by tacogirl 14/04/2018
written by tacogirl 14/04/2018
Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga town

Garifuna drumming and culture is one of the first things that comes to mind when people think about Dangriga. This city which is the capital of the Stann Creek district is also home to a very important place that very few people know exists, the Belize Cancer Centre Dangriga (BCCD).

The BCCD plays a vital role in Belize’s health care system and offers a lifeline for those diagnosed with cancer. The charitable, donation-based organization opened its doors in 2008 and it is the only hematology-oncology center in the country. The cancer center accepts patients from anywhere in Belize and they also work with patients countrywide who want to return home but need to continue chemotherapy treatments. 

The center staff consists of three full-time employees, occasional volunteer physicians and is overseen by an oncologist from Los Angeles who comes down every two-three months.

Three C’s = A++

Clean, Competent and Caring these 3 C’s earn the Belize Cancer Center Dangriga an A++.

Their philosophy is to administer compassionate care to those in need and provide excellent customer service. They see every patient as special, regardless of age, ethnicity, social or economic status.

The BCCD welcomes all patients with a cancer diagnosis regardless of their financial situation. They truly believe in providing the best care possible care from their modest clinic. The staff is genuinely concerned with relieving suffering and improving opportunities for healthy lifestyles for their patients.

They also provide consultation and treatment for a growing number of sickle cell patients, most of them being children and young adults.

The center is doing the best they can with what they have, but everything is used and worn and they make due with very little. Most of their drugs come from the U.S. and they are either donated or discounted by big pharmaceutical companies. The only Lidocaine (numbing cream for shots) they have was donated by my friend Cheryl.

If you would like to help the Belize Cancer Center with basic resources, please consider a small donation of general office supplies or multivitamins – email me at tacogirlbelize[at]gmail.com

Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga

Road Trip to Belize Cancer Center Dangriga 

Part of the beauty of Belize is that it is relatively easy to go spend a day in another part of the country and come back fast. So when my friend Cheryl (my friend Aimee’s Mom) needed to take a trip to Dangriga for chemotherapy, I decided to be her “go with girl” since her daughter was away.

Cheryl lives in Belize City and was planning to catch the early morning express bus, so I hopped a Tropic flight out from San Pedro the day before. She met me at the airport and for $7 our driver Lincoln Webster (626-5022) dropped us off at Chon Saan for dinner with instructions to come back in an hour. After a short bit of kitchen table talk and time with her 3 dogs, it was time to call it a night – our ride was due to arrive at 5:00 am.

Our early morning taxi cab, Myron Dougal (604-4465) was on time and cost $10. We caught the 5:30 am James Express bus from Belize City to Dangriga  – $7 BZD each.

The trip took about 3 hours, with a five minute stop in Belmopan along the way. Cheryl had a driver set up a for $5 ride. Elwin (620-7049) met us at the bus station and took us to Alexies Snack Shop for a tasty $10 breakfast. His son Manuel picked us up and dropped us off at the Cancer Center.

I stayed with Cheryl while they did intake, waited till she was set up in the back room and given an eta on her treatment time.

The center was one street over from the main road so I set out for a nice walk around Dangriga town. I was immediately drawn to the bridge for a photo op. I also wanted to photograph water and the shoreline. For personal fun and since I had limited time, I did a hardware and grocery store tour. I always like seeing what is available in other places and what pricing is like. The day was a scorcher and I took shade along the way on a park bench. Then I walked a bit in the opposite direction. I had noticed an A&R store on our way into town and I thought I would go in and cool off and also see what treasures they had that was different from San Pedro. As I neared the store I saw that the doors were open and knew instantly it was going to be a fast pass through. A health pit-stop came next, I bought some Gloriusruis Belize coconut water to recharge and headed back to the center to meet up with Cheryl.

It turned out Elwin was busy when she was done so they called us a cab. We made it to the bus station with seconds to spare. Thankfully once everyone opened their windows we got some breeze happening. The bus ride was fairly packed and we both enjoyed the mountain view along the way. I joked with Cheryl that she was only allowed to fall asleep and knock me over if it was into a cute guy – of course, it never happened. Unlike last time, the before-treatment medication did not make her as drowsy.

Before long we were back in Belize City and because we were getting off at Cemetery Road, Cheryl made La Popular Bakery our last stop before we caught a ride with Lincoln (626-5022). He dropped Cheryl at home and then took me to Municipal Airport to catch the 4:30 pm Tropic Air flight back to San Pedro.

Cancer Treatment Pricing

I know some of you are wondering about the costs of Belize Medical.

Cheryl’s treatments cost her about $400 (Belize dollars) per visit. That is much less than in Texas where she used to live, even with insurance. Another benefit is that she is happy she can stay at her Belize City home and be relatively close to her daughter Aimee and granddaughter Tori who live on Ambergris Caye.

In addition to chemo, Cheryl is on a hefty supplement program given to her by doctors at Memorial Hermann in Houston. The center hopes their patients can and will do daily multivitamins. Unfortunately, there are few subsidies and supplements are out of the question for disadvantaged folks. Travel costs can also be an issue preventing even subsidized treatments for those who live in other parts of the country.

Every Road Trip is an Adventure

Belize City

Backyard shower in Belize City

Every road trip holds the potential for adventure and you need to be able to roll with the unexpected side of life that comes along with travel.

My unexpected most adventurous road trip moment came with a 4:00 am wake up call. A Belize City backyard hose shower; Cheryl had warned me that her house was a bit like glamping but saved that juicy detail of garden hose shower for after I had arrived.

As I was passing back through the kitchen wrapped in my fresh white towel, she laughed and remarked, even she would not brave it so early. It was polar bear cold.

When I got home that night and showered off the hot and sweaty residue from my day in Dangriga, I took a moment to appreciate the situation of indoor running water.

Great travel always reminds us to be grateful for the little things in life.

Chicken Bus Video

Enjoy a bit of our three-hour chicken bus ride from Dangriga to Belize City. Thankfully, going from Belize City to Dangriga we were on a comfortable air-conditioned express bus. I will say however that the chicken bus won for best music of the two rides – they started playing some great popular music and then transitioned into 80’s music and back to alternative. Both buses we took were James Busline. Our friend Adolph says they are the best.

Dangriga

I will leave you with a few pictures of our super fun road trip. Click and see what other travelers recommend for the best things to do in Dangriga.

Tropic Air Belize

Almost ready for take-off

Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga

5:30 am express bus – a cool and comfortable ride

Dangriga Belize

Pit stop for a ten dollar breakfast

Belize

Crossing the bridge

Belize Birds

Lunchtime on the river

Belize

Peaceful river view

Belize bus transportation

Waiting to board our ride home

Belize bus transportation

The ride home was more crowded

Belize Bus

Mountains on our bus ride home

Belize City Bakery

Crocodiles at La Popular Bakery Belize City

Boutique Hotel Belize

Flying over my friends Boutique Hotel – Playa de Sala

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Delvin Kelly
Delvin Kelly
18:38 22 Jun 22
I just returned from my trip to Belize in mid-June 2022. I had been planning the trip weeks / months in advance and... Laurie (taco girl) wasextremely helpful in preparation for my trip. Her intimate knowledge as an expat who was ONCE a tourist, really helps because she is able to share first hand knowledge of how a tourist can explore Ambergis Caye like a "temporary local". An example of this, was she recommended 2 yoga classes for my wife to enjoy while on vacation that we would not have known about otherwise and the class was far better than a class arranged by a hotel, as you get the local experience not a staged one. In addition, she was helpful in providing recommendations for dinner and sharing some discounts she has arranged with local retailers. Reviewing the taco girl blog and reaching out to Laurie is like having a tour guide, but more important a tour guide that KNOWS Belize.read more
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G
22:52 16 Jun 22
From the perspective of a couple preparing for a permanent move to Belize, Laurie has been enthusiastically helpful in... both answering our questions and connecting us with local resources for our move. Highly recommend you contact her and make use of her valuable services!!!read more
Darrell Moore
Darrell Moore
13:15 18 Apr 22
Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
B W
B W
18:01 08 Feb 22
Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
Kristi Palm
Kristi Palm
20:40 12 Oct 21
We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
D Zep
D Zep
12:39 01 Oct 21
Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
Kelley Adams
Kelley Adams
20:19 21 Sep 21
We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
Pamela Nixon
Pamela Nixon
18:36 20 Sep 21
I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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Chris S
17:12 17 Sep 21
Wanted to give a shout-out to tacogirl belize for helping us! She is a plethora of knowledge and was super helpful and... responsive in helping us find longer term stay on the island. Thank you so much for your help!read more
Ty Willingham
Ty Willingham
01:47 20 Aug 21
I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
Greg Cox
Greg Cox
18:58 04 Aug 21
I am very glad I found you and asked you a question about a spice in Belize. You helped me figure out the name of it... and where i could buy it. You went above and beyond to help. Thanks again.read more
Katherine Jones
Katherine Jones
18:41 02 Aug 21
I am so grateful for the time and energy Laurie has taken to share about her experiences traveling to and living in... Belize as well as provide thorough recommendations for planning a trip there. I was so thankful (and honestly surprised) that Laurie took the time to respond to several of my questions via email. I highly recommend reading Laurie's blogs and helping to support her business. Thank you Laurie!!read more
Greg R
Greg R
02:12 29 Jun 21
tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
Katherine Carlson
Katherine Carlson
18:46 02 Jun 21
As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
Kathleen Ward
Kathleen Ward
18:29 02 Jun 21
We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
ksniegoc1
ksniegoc1
17:45 02 Jun 21
It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
Myra F
Myra F
01:30 25 Mar 21
I started coming to San Pedro Belize in 2007 and that is when I met the online presence of Taco Girl. Her blogs on the... island and area are very personable and informative. She gives out promo codes from time to time so watch out for those. You cannot go wrong with someone who was a tourist and now lives here for quality info. Thanks Taco Girl for helping make my trips memorable!read more
Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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