When Andrea Wolf was diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013, she discovered a new purpose for her life—to help and support others going through cancer. She’s now taken that passion and combined it with her longtime dream of owning a boutique.
When Michelle Pierson of Albany adopted a cat at an animal shelter, she was looking for a companion for her other pets. What she didn’t expect was that her rescue cat, Mia, would soon rescue her by alerting her that she had breast cancer.
Coral Burger has one wish this holiday season—to help as many people as possible have a Merry Christmas. Coral knows how difficult the holidays can be during cancer treatment. She watched her mom go through it.
Robin Gambino considers herself an optimist. So, when her health took a turn shortly before Christmas in 2013, she expected to be back on her feet in no time. Even as she lay on a gurney in the hospital emergency room waiting for her diagnosis, she believed that whatever was wrong with her wasn’t severe.
Amber Bell and her family love Christmas—from the tree to the traditions and all the twinkling lights. This year, however, this Springfield mom is undergoing chemotherapy for stage IV colon cancer, and while she wants to enjoy as much holiday fun as she can with her three daughters, ages 11, 9 and 2, it’s physically difficult. “I’ve had to lower my expectations,” Amber.
When Viki Berry went to see her doctor after discovering a small lump on her hip, she received some unexpected news: She has non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. It’s a moment she will never forget. “I kind of left the room, mentally,” Viki recalls. “I was just gone, because I was thinking, ‘How did I get cancer? What did I do?'” Initial scans revealed Viki had a.
After serving more than 30 years as an officer with the Eugene Police Department, Lisa Barrong was looking forward to retirement. But just about 10 months before leaving her position, Lisa learned she had breast cancer. Having received clean mammogram results just days before, the diagnosis came as a complete surprise. “I was reaching my arm across my body to grab.
When Jessie Wells prepared to begin chemotherapy earlier this year, there’s one thing she knew for certain: she didn’t want to lose her hair. “It might sound vain to be worried about something like that, but vanity didn’t have anything to do with it,” the 39-year-old mother of four says. “I wanted to keep my hair so my children wouldn’t worry. I wanted to live as normal of.
Kelly Lee is a firm believer that everyone should have an inner superhero. It just so happens that her alter ego wears colorful tutus and military boots. “Clark Kent has Superman. Kelly Lee has TuTu Girl,” she declares proudly. Donning colorful tutus is how the 51-year-old legal assistant channeled a strength she didn’t know she possessed during one of the most difficult.
Every Monday, Diana Whitmire drives to Willamette Valley Cancer Institute’s RiverBend clinic in Springfield. Her standing appointment is not with her doctor—Diana’s been cancer-free for 6 months—instead, she’s there to meet with other patients. Diana volunteers at the Cancer Resource Center at RiverBend, a partnership between WVCI and the American Cancer Society. “I have.