In honor of Aimee Shea
Most everyone knows the importance of a healthy diet. It’s even more crucial for people with critical illnesses, such as cancer. Aimee Shea is the outpatient oncology dietitian at N.C. Cancer Hospital. She helps patients figure out which foods can ease side effects and which foods can help recovery. And she can help patients make dietary and lifestyle changes that will aid long-term recovery and promote overall wellness.
“I’m available to meet with any patient at the N.C. Cancer Hospital,” she says. Aimee always wanted to work in a health-related field. “Especially on the prevention side,” she says. As an undergrad pre-med student, she worked with dietitians at the National Institutes of Health. “Before that, I didn’t even know what a dietitian was. But after my experience at NIH, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
She earned her Masters in Public Health Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill and also became a Registered Dietitian. And she recently received her board certification as a specialist in oncology nutrition.
“I love working one on one with people,” she says, “ and with patients who are going through any stage of the process—pre- or post-surgery, during radiation treatment, during chemotherapy, whenever — to help them feel better.”