Part of the Revlon Family & Friends Team in NYC 2014

Many people outside of Revlon may not be aware of the work in fundraising that their team Revlon Family & Friends puts in as a team effort each year. They raise money without any corporate funding and do what they can as individuals! Many also may not know team captain Joanie Vogt is a 6 year breast cancer survivor.

In the past few years, Lisa and Meg who work out of the Oxford office of Revlon have been spearheading some very creative fundraising ideas. Revlon has held an internal raffle for employees to raise money for the run/walk and Meg, who is an avid quilter suggested creating a quilt to raffle. People from all departments including IT, their Customer Information Center, Payroll, Accounting, etc…now join in the making of the quilt.

T-shirt Quilt

This year’s quilt was a compilation of previous year’s t-shirts. Each year more and more employees get involved in the making of the quilt. No one had to have any experience in knowing how to make a quilt, they just had to have the enthusiasm to do it!

It’s also been a great way for people who work on different floors and departments to get to know one another too.

In the past, they have also put together a cookbook, which was widely popular, with such great recipes, that employees still look to purchase it.

A few years ago, they tried having a breakfast buffet bar to raise money, and they didn’t have many attend. They found many employees were watching their weight, so they decided to host a salad bar as a fundraiser. It was a success! Now they hold it 3-4 times a year, it’s a lot of prep work, so they have a lot of helping hands to get it done.

Joanie Vogt

As with many people who join the Revlon family and Friends team,  Team Captain Joanie Vogt  had a personal connection to it.  She works out of the Chicago offices for Revlon and is a breast cancer survivor.

Six years ago, Joanie was in a meeting a t Revlon when her right breast started to cause her incredible pain, she waited a few days to see if the pain would subside and it didn’t. She went to her doctor and they found a significant growth (stage 3). She had a mastectomy and developed an infection, which landed her in the ICU a few weeks later. Joanie recovered and continued with 12 weeks of chemotherapy and 13 weeks of radiation. She got through it with the help of her family, friends and Revlon.

For Joanie, in her words, she says having cancer was a journey that included a lot of self-discovery and changed her outlook permanently on life. She came close to not making it through, but found the strength of love and a deeper appreciation of friends and family, including her husband who was a rockstar throughout her treatment! She, like many survivors, feels the threat of recurrence is always there and so she is grateful for her life.

The Revlon Family & Friends team puts in a year round effort to make a difference in this event each year.

One of these women is Zoe Morsette, who had been a dancer, until an injury sidelined her in the 1970s. She stayed in entertainment working in theater and television as a millinery and creating props. She has created props for over 41 stage productions as well as for television shows such as Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. About ten years ago, Zoe went in for surgery and when she woke, she was told she had cancer. The doctor told her they thought they had gotten it all during surgery, but she would need to follow up with chemotherapy. Her surgery had been extensive and with the chemotherapy it meant Zoe was going to be off of work for four months.

Zoe was actually more worried about paying her rent and health insurance than she was about chemotherapy. A friend mentioned to Zoe that The Actors Fund may be able to help her with her financial constraints. Zoe was pleasantly surprised by how expedient the PNHWI was in responding to her needs. They paid her first month’s rent and health insurance; they referred other services to her who helped Zoe to pay her bills while in treatment.

Zoe was so relieved from the stress and continues to give back to the organization that helped her out! She also participates in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk each year with The Actors Fund team, which raised about $23,000.00 in 2014.  Team Captain Amy Picar says they help out those in their community and like many at The Actors Fund she is committed to raising awareness and funds each year toward eradicating women’s cancers.

Thank you to everyone who donates to our event each year, it allows us to keep helping people such as Zoe in supporting her throughout her treatment.

Jackie and her daughter 2013

Perhaps, you’ve seen Jackie Liljgren’s picture on some of the past EIF Revlon Run/Walk for women event signage and literature?

Jackie is a breast cancer survivor, wife and mother to three kids (20, 17 and 14).

She is as energetic and vivacious in person as she is in her pictures!

She sees each day as important and instills her zest for life in everyone she meets!

Jackie has always been spontaneous! In 2007, Jackie took her kids to Australia to live for a year, so they could get to know her husband’s family while he stayed working in the USA. She believes it was a great experience for the family.

In January 2011, Jackie didn’t feel quite so spontaneous.

When her husband Dave was transferring from the east coast to the west coast for work, she decided to stay with her kids in Connecticut. His job required a lot of travel, so she didn’t see a reason to uproot the kids for a move to California where they knew no one.

This changed two days before Dave was set to move to California.

Jackie woke up in the middle of the night and just knew she had breast cancer! She called her doctor the next morning and told her doctor she had cancer. Her doctor was a bit bewildered, because only a few months prior, Jackie had an ultrasound and a mammogram.

So, why did Jackie wake up in the middle of the night just knowing she had cancer?

She figured it was bound to happen. Her mom was 51 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the same age as Jackie.

Jackie’s doctor arranged for an MRI. Something was spotted and then a guided biopsy revealed two different types of cancer in situ. When Jackie’s doctor called with the diagnosis, she actually avoided the call…. she knew the verdict and wasn’t anxious to hear it!

She decided they needed to move with Dave. After talking with her doctor about her diagnosis, she hopped on a plane to California and decided to panic later.

Jackie with her family in 2013

They found a school in Los Angeles for her daughters; meanwhile her son went to stay with their family in Australia. Jackie figured since she was handling her diagnosis and reassuring her kids that she was okay, that they were okay. She didn’t realize her girls were in shock.

In just two days, they found out their Mom had cancer and they were moving to California. Now they were enrolling in school in a place where they knew no one.

Later on, Jackie found out all was not okay. Her oldest daughter was freaking out; she thought her mom was going to die. She would show up for school, have little breakdowns and then just leave.

Eight days after arriving in Los Angeles, Jackie went to UCLA to find out her treatment options. She went to Dr. Chang and it was decided she would have a double mastectomy.

During treatment, Jackie started having panic attacks, yet her focus was on helping everyone to adjust. She also made it a point to inspire others and while at UCLA, she saw the information about the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women.

Eight weeks after her surgery, Jackie participated in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women with her kids and called her team Wacky Jackie! It helped her daughter to work through some of her anger and fear about her Mom’s diagnosis.

Jackie feels a joy of being alive…she wants to help everybody and continues to participate in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for women each year.

Jackie and her family at the event in 2014!!

She feels something good came out of it, her daughters were so proud of her and they believe they can get through anything.

Maureen (Moe) joined us seven years ago, at the suggestion of one of her friends. Moe loved to run and she had a great time!

The following year, destiny seemed to step in, as Moe found a lump in her breast.

Her doctor told her it was nothing to worry about, but the lump grew larger. Her doctor still assured her there was nothing to worry about, so Moe decided to seek out another doctor’s opinion.

The second doctor told her she had breast cancer. Her first reaction was brain freeze, although when they called her at her office to give her the diagnosis, she said, “Okay fine, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?” The nurse seemed bewildered by Moe’s direct response and Moe assured her that she was on her way down to the doctor’s office for a chat.

Moe had stage 2 cancer. She asked her doctor, a general surgeon, if he worked with a plastic surgeon. The doctor told her, “You won’t need to worry about how it looks, it’s not a priority.” It was to Moe, as she walked out of his office never to return.

Moe took a break, taking time to do research and interview doctors. She went to five different hospitals. She interviewed oncologists, plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists and others. Her husband was a bit freaked out, wondering why she was waiting so long! Not only because of the research, but she also decided she was doing the EIF Revlon Run/Walk, so she made them wait to operate until two weeks after the run.

She put her surgical team together—none of who had worked together in the past. She had a lumpectomy and the plastic surgeon gave her what she wanted! She woke up looking great and feeling great!!!!!

Moe feels for others, she is a strong-willed person…. and goes for what she wants. She can’t imagine being told to have a breast removed unnecessarily.

For the newly diagnosed she says don’t panic and think it’s the end of the world. She says find out exactly what you have and do the research. Be in charge of your own health. She also says it helps to talk with people who have experienced cancer.

Moe is living proof that you can recover and look at the bright side. She didn’t want anything foreign in her body, so she didn’t opt for implants. Instead, she laughingly says she was blessed by God with very large breasts and is actually quite pleased with her lifted and perkier breasts!

Moe’s parting words, “Everyone has to go with how they feel. No one is right or wrong, they just have to do what is right for them.”

Those were Silvia’s words last August when she was interviewed for this blog.

Silvia was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer on July 20, 2012.
She felt lost, confused, and afraid of the unknown. Cancer doesn’t run in her
family, so she didn’t understand how at 26 years old she could have cancer. She
thought of her husband, who was her high school sweetheart and her children,
ages 4 and 7 years old.

She was unable to eat for two months, because of
the side effects from her four month long
chemotherapy treatment. Silvia through it all had
the desire to live, to be a better mother, wife,
daughter, sister and a better person overall. She
wanted to help others who have cancer and to be
an inspiration. She had to fight and win!!

Every month the doctor would give her negative news about her condition. It
became a real challenge for her to stay positive. One night she cried and began
praying; she asked for strength, power, faith, and most of all “will.” She started
reading empowering books and stories. She spoke to a lot of survivors and family
of those who had passed. She believes her FAITH and STRENGTH have helped
her to beat the odds!

During treatment, Silvia’s whole family helped her, whether it was cooking for
her, cleaning, picking up her kids from school or washing their clothes. Her
husband, mother and two sisters are her biggest supporters. They never left her
side.

In December of 2012, she had surgery
to remove tumors and lost 90% of her
blood. The doctor told her family she
would not live more than a few hours
and to say their “Good-Byes!!!” Silvia
not only got better she walked this year
with her team Strong and Beautiful in
the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women.
And she keeps getting stronger and
stronger, even though her tumors have
returned. They are a mix of cancerous
and non-cancerous tumors and Silvia’s
attitude is to keep fighting!!

Her advice to other people diagnosed with cancer would be to find peace, strength and positivity within you. Never give up, ask questions, get other opinions, and ask for help, but most important give it your all!!!

She says, “We can not take life for granted, we must live to the fullest everyday.
When one door closes another opens, maybe there is something better for us,
maybe not now, but soon.”

Photo of Silvia at the 2014 event on the right and from last year in 2013 on the left.

Gloria at the 2012 EIF/Revlon Run/Walk for Women

Gloria Inman is 46 and has been married for 17 years. She is the mother to two children, ages 10 and 13. She has a family history of cancer, making her more at risk. On the day before Thanksgiving in 2010, she was on the phone, driving with her kids in the car, when the doctor told her, “You have breast cancer.”

She had gone in for her regular mammogram, in February of 2010; the technician asked her about family history and cancer. The technician did a measurement telling Gloria she fell into a higher risk percentage of developing cancer.

In April, she had an ultrasound—they saw a small spot, but felt it was probably nothing—aging, no worries…and to come back in 6 months.

In October, she had an MRI, mammogram and ultrasound. The technician came in the room, followed by the doctor. Gloria knew the doctor never comes in, unless there’s something wrong. The doctor said they needed to biopsy the spot, which had grown in the past 6 months. They scheduled it for the Monday right before Thanksgiving. 

Her husband took her to the MRI biopsy, at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. The doctor said they’ll have the results on Tuesday, unless the lab runs additional tests. Gloria tried not to panic—finding the strength to deal with whatever it might be, her initial reports said the spot is nothing.

The extra test came back on Wednesday—as her kids listened to the conversation in the car, they asked, “Mom are you going to be okay?”

She said, “Yes!”

They said, “But Mom, you have cancer!”

She had known it before the phone call. She didn’t want to be naïve…she knew it could happen to her; she had been preparing herself for the diagnosis. She told her husband—he said, “I’m sorry—we’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it all out.”

During the holiday, she didn’t tell anyone of her diagnosis. She didn’t want anyone else to worry and panic, especially her Mom. 

When she got back to work at the corporate offices for the Disney Store; she emailed everyone to let them know of her diagnosis. Everyone was very supportive of her.

On the 29^th of December, she went in for surgery. She had been diagnosed with Stage 1a—they had gotten most of it out with biopsy and the rest was removed on the 29th. She remembers waking hoping there was no bag under her arm, and there wasn’t! She knew then it had not spread to her lymph nodes. 

Gloria started radiation treatment in the middle of January, which continued until March. She had 38 out of 39 sessions, she was peeling and breaking out and so her radiologist let her off early.

She is taking Tamoxifin for 5 years and feels very lucky, because of the type of cancer she was diagnosed with, that it wasn’t more severe—plus she didn’t feel real horrible during her treatment.

Gloria had participated in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women for a number of years before with Disney. In years she didn’t participate she had always supported the event.  Cancer runs in her family. It takes on a whole other meaning when you’re a survivor–it’s a way of saying, “Thank you.”She feels it says thank you for being there—and having everything available for her treatment that she was able to have, because of organizations like EIF/Revlon. She believes it helps to raise a lot of awareness.

This year her husband, both kids and girlfriend came with her. 

Another thing that Gloria feels strongly about is becoming informed once you are diagnosed with cancer.

As scary as it is, knowing more about it is better than not….find a support group. She went to a support group after radiation—listening to others with their stories—it helps you to deal with it better, people understand what you’re going through. She would never tell someone what to do—she says, “you pick and choose what will work for you. Don’t be afraid to take charge of your own body—make best choice for yourself—find another doctor…don’t have to do everything they tell you.”

Gloria found she was really angry after surgery. She was lashing out and she knew she could talk to a counselor, so she did and her husband was very supportive. 

Gloria doesn’t sweat the small stuff, because to her, nothing is as bad as a doctor telling you, that you have cancer. It changes your perspective, you become like a duck, letting the water roll off your back.  Being two years out of it, there are times she forgets, because she is fine and when she remembers what she went through; she feels grateful.

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email Tracy@tracycrossley.com.

Betty’s Breast Friends 2012

Corina Lozano is a single Mom of two children and one grandson.

She raised her children on her own, after being widowed in 1980, at the age of 24. She comes from a very large and supportive family of nine children. Her parents instilled great values in their children and taught them to trust in God.

In December of 1995, Corina was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

She had discovered a lump in her breast after a self-exam. She credits her doctor, Dr. Stanley  Frochzwajg with her treatment and recovery; he made sure she had access to all the information she needed.

She had a Mammogram in December; followed by a biopsy in January and surgery on Feb 14, 1996.  After the biopsy, it was determined that she had ductal carcinoma and it was small in size.

As she spoke with the doctors, she put her trust in them and God. She felt guided in making her treatment decisions. She chose a lumpectomy with radiation and chemotherapy.  She had what is called, “Sandwiched Therapy;” three sessions of chemo (three weeks apart), then seven weeks of radiation, which was followed by three more sessions of chemotherapy. She worked through most of her therapy and did very well.

For Corina, Dr. Stan has always remained on top of her healthcare, even to this day.

Eight years later they found a large tumor on one of her ovaries. The type of tumor is called a “Surtoli Leydig Tumor of the Ovary”, which is rare. It was cancerous, but no therapy was needed, because it was self-contained.  The tumor was the size of a large orange.  She thanks God, because of cancer, she’s become more aware of her body.

In 2013, they found two spots on her liver, a biopsy was done and the tissue came back normal.

She was relieved, but she knows she must keep up on her check-ups. If anything changes in her body, she calls her doctor immediately.

Cancer has taught her to totally trust in God, no matter what she goes through, it just makes it easier. She also believes in living life to the fullest no matter what!!  Life is too short to dwell on the things that are totally out of our control.  She is also an advocate in finding a cure, and  encourages others to do the same; she is there for others when they are afraid to fight the fight. 

Her children once told her, “Mom, we see your great  attitude and it gives us strength and we feel good knowing that you have this strength to go on.”  

Her advice to others in treatment: Keep a positive attitude, If you don’t feel comfortable with the diagnosing doctor, get a second opinion. Cancer is not a death sentence.

Women need to educate themselves and get checkups/mammograms on a regular basis. She says, “Listen to your body, especially as you get older. Contact other people who have been there and you will find something that will help you get through.”   

Corina has worked for the County of Ventura Sheriff’s Department for the past 22 years.  She is an avid fundraiser, not only raising funds for the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women (www.revlonrunwalk.org), but also for the “Share-iff’s Christmas Toy Drive. 

Corina joined the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for women, because her daughter decided to do it in her honor and several family members who have fought cancer and won!!

Their team is Betty’s Breast Friends, Betty is  the nickname of Corina’s daughter. She feels in the 16 years since her treatment, there are many changes for the better.

She  become more active in the fight, in the last 4 years, because of her first grandson. She realized he’s one more reason to live.

Every year, she starts fundraising by asking local restaurants to offer a percentage of their daily sales to benefit the walk. They also create beautiful baskets to raffle, as well as Corina sells her baked goods.  Her goal is to raise as much money as possible. They have a small team, but it is growing.

She will continue the fight until there’s a cure!

Corina shared the following poem, which had been given to her and she shares with others:

Cancer is so limited…..

It cannot cripple love,

It cannot shatter hope,

It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot eat away peace,

It cannot destroy confidence,

It cannot kill friendship,

It cannot shut out memories,

It cannot silence courage,

It cannot invade the soul,

It cannot reduce eternal life,

It cannot quench the spirt,

It cannot lessen the power

of the resurrection

Why must I bear this pain? I cannot tell:

I only know my lord does all things well.

And so I trust in God, my all in all,

For he will bring me through,

Whate’re befall…..

Author unknown…..

If you have a story you’d like to share, please email Tracy@tracycrossley.com

Sally with her husband Randy, and her daughter Bree

Sally Bowman is very appreciative of people and life.

She is a wife and a Mom to two children: a 23 year old daughter and a 25 year old son. She is also a 21 year cancer survivor. She was diagnosed at the age of 37. She had a mammogram, which indicated she needed a biopsy; they didn’t think it was cancer, until the results came back. Always the sleeping dragon, she decided to have a double mastectomy. They biopsied her other breast and found she would have had cancer there too.

Sally had gone to UCLA, fittingly her doctor’s name was Dr. Love!

She had sought out three different opinions, finally choosing a skilled surgeon. She felt fortunate to have survived with her only treatment being a double mastectomy. She decided to have reconstruction. At the time of her reconstruction, Dow Corning was being sued for silicone implants. Silicone was banned, except for breast cancer. Two weeks before reconstruction, Sally’s expander pump broke, she had to have another sugery…an extra surgery, they put in saline implants. They were great until 18 years later, they leaked, now Sally has silicone implants.

After her surgery, every little ache and pain, made her wonder if the cancer was back. She feels she drove her husband nuts, telling him every pain. She felt she had become a bit of a hypochondriac.

Sally and her husband on their wedding day!

In the first years…before she was a 5 year survivor; she would get a tingle down her spine, when people she knew, had recurrences. After about 10 years as a survivor, Sally stopped worrying so much. When asked if she was still scared, she said, “You’re always looking over your shoulder.” But, she also says,  “If it recurs, we’ll fight it!!!!”

Her biggest savior during her battle with cancer was retaining her sense of humor, which she offers to everyone she meets. She has a twinkle in her eye and you will be smiling, if not laughing when you’re with Sally.

Sally has never been one to really focus on herself. Sally lost her Dad when she was nine.  When Sally was diagnosed with cancer, her mom also had cancer at the same time. Sally helped her stepdad with her mom’s care as much as she could. Unfortunately, her mom passed from cancer as Sally was recovering from her surgery.

Her stepdad really took great care of her mom over a two year period. She had suffered complications from her surgery; the surgeon had accidentally punctured her large intestines, requiring her to have an ileostomy bag.

Sally and her family

A month or so, before her mom died, she was in so much pain, she asked Sally, “What did I do to deserve this?” Her mom was the nicest woman, she gave back to others; she was kind and generous her whole life. At the time, it was begging the question; “It makes you wonder, if there is a God?”

Sally has been with the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for women since its inception, when the first event had 8000 people. After her mom had been sick and passed; Sally felt she had to find the cure. She wanted to help.

She is the heart and soul of the event; she receives the calls in the office to give hope, offer guidance, and yet, she doesn’t expect people to follow what she does, she just wants to offer her support.

She has been known to visit those she meets through the event in the hospital, their homes and attending the funerals of those who lost the fight.  She has a lot of friends and has also lost many to this unfair disease. She works as the Team Coordinator, working with all 600 registered teams. She makes sure to contact every single captain.

Sally with Team Captain Dana Hall

Sally has a great appreciation for life. She still carries a lot of sadness about her mom. And yet, if you’re fortunate to meet Sally, the first thing you notice is her friendly smile and caring demeanor.

If you have a story to share, please email Tracy@tracycrossley.com

Cris during treatment

During chemotherapy Cris Garcia’s husband would sing to her, so as to distract her from her fear of needles. Cris is now 60 years old and a 10-year survivor of Stage 4 breast cancer; she was diagnosed after 3 separate needle biopsies. Cris believes a few things about her bout with cancer; one of her beliefs being that she didn’t succumb to being ill during chemotherapy, because she drank 8-10 bottles of water during each treatment. The worst part of having cancer for Cris was losing her hair, now she wears it as a blonde flattop.

Cris had 3 different biopsies.

On February 15, 2002, Cris had a biopsy for a lump in her breast that she had found in December. The doctor decided to perform a needle extraction…and it was gone, she went home and all was great!

Cris with her Mom (battling lung cancer at the time) at her 25th wedding anniversary

Six months later, she felt the cyst again growing hard, so she had another fine needle extraction.

Cris felt the lump not too long afterwards, this time the doctor said they would perform a biopsy with a coarse needle, followed by the ultrasound. She was diagnosed with 4th stage breast cancer. Originally it was thought to be stage three, her tumor was long; it was 6 millimeters and went all the way to her back, fortunately for Cris, it was encapsulated and did not spread to her lymph nodes.

Cris received her results from Kaiser on the 17^th of January, went for a second opinion on the 18^th of January and followed back up with her doctors at Kaiser again.

Cris went in on January 29th to have a single mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time. She had surgery on a Wednesday and was back to work on Monday. Her husband wanted her to take it easy, but that’s not her style!

Emotionally—it was a little tough for her in the beginning—her daughter was only 16, yet Cris had her husband; he was very strong—they made a pact: she wouldn’t give up and he’d be there for her.

Next came chemotherapy, she never worried thru the process….her husband went with her to every chemotherapy treatment. He would sing to her to distract her, because of her fear of needles. Cris worked throughout her treatment.

Her friends kept bringing her food throughout treatment, they felt she needed to eat to stay strong, she ended up putting on 40 lbs and the doctor told her it wasn’t necessary to eat so much.

Cris’s 25th wedding anniversary 4 years ago

The worst part for Cris was… losing her hair. Now she wears it as a blonde flattop.

When she had lost her hair, her husband helped her shave the rest. When she was bald, she tried a couple of wigs and only wore them a couple times. She didn’t like wearing the wigs, she even scared her UPS man one day when he came to the door and she wasn’t wearing anything to cover her head. He was worried for her and she confidently told him she’d be just fine.

Cris planned for the future, she made all of her dates—she and her husband planned a trip that following, September. Her chemotherapy had started on Feb 26^th, followed by radiation in July –30 treatments.

Her oncologist was trained in Argentina, where Cris was born. In Argentina, they practice lower doses of radiation; he continued that practice here, so Cris bears no scars from her treatment.  She feels fortunate to have had reconstructive surgery, her cousin, who is a plastic surgeon and professor in Argentina–told her to come out with something in place, he felt it would be less traumatic, so…she followed his advice and had a breast when she came out of surgery.

Her cousin in Argentina is friends with a top oncologist there who recommends drinking 8-10 bottles of water during chemotherapy. The reason is that you’re flushing your body of the excess medication. She only got sick one time during her chemotherapy treatment and that was the day she didn’t bring her water to drink.

Her mug during her treatment for cancer

Cris believes your brain will help you; if you’re positive, it helps you have the strength to get through. She believes if you keep asking “why me?” and feeling sorry for yourself that you make it more difficult to get through treatment. She says, “You have to be stronger than you have ever been in your life and if you believe in your goals you will make them.”

To Cris, cancer is in the past, she has her mammograms—she never thinks twice about it, because she believes if it is meant to be, then it will be and if it happens, she will fight it again. She has been 10 years—cancer free—no more CT scans, she had 10 total—its been the same results for the past decade.

Cris originally saw a booklet about the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for women at Kaiser when she was in treatment. She asked her other friends to join her and formed, Las Lolas. 2013 is their 10^th walk as family/friends—they usually have between 25-50 members. They walk with 3-4 survivors in their group from different cancers all of them are wearing yellow and purple.

She always had the philosophy, that you live in the moment and enjoy it! Even more now!

If you have a story to share, please email tracy@tracycrossley.com

Jennifer Douglas’s Mom had always been the one to take care of everything in her household. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer, all of that changed; it was up to her daughter Jennifer to step into her role. It was also hard on Jennifer’s dad, he had been married to Jennifer’s Mom for 37 years.

In looking back, Jennifer says her goal was to help her mom, focus just on her, as her Mom went through treatment and ultimately hospice care until she passed in 2012.

Jennifer didn’t seek out anyone or anything to help her with her Mom. In looking back, it affected her a lot more than she thought while going through it. In the midst of it day by day, she just kept going, and doing what needed to be done. She didn’t take much-needed breaks, not realizing that when she’d get upset with her Mom for needing something–that it was a sign that she needed to step back and take care of herself. Jennifer was committed to doing what she could for her Mom.

Jennifer’s small family was big on humor. They were a very close-knit. They made light of things as they could, because of all the complications her Mom endured while being treated. The family bond grew through this time to be even greater, they really connected…stronger…they got to enjoy each others’ company.

The result of her Mom’s last surgery left her with blood clots, wounds and the incision not closing and healing properly. Her mom never had a chance to accept her fate, because of her physical conditions and complications taking precedent.

When the surgeon said that there was nothing more that could be done, because the cancer had spread elsewhere in her body, they started recording conversations everyone had with her mom. They saved them, so they could listen to the recordings in the future.

Jennifer also decided to write a living eulogy to her Mom. She shared it with her mom while in hospice care. She told her what she had meant to Jennifer’s life, and in passing…how she impacted her life. It was an amazing moment; she gave her mom a gift in her dying days…it was for her mom that she did it…it meant a lot to both of them.

Jennifer’s Mom also wrote to her dad, and also to her best friend Wendy. On the  3 month anniversary of her passing, Jennifer shared what was written to them, they all had a moment of remembrance, of treasuring …..

Jennifer’s Mom was not big on people wallowing, giving eulogies or being sad over her passing, so she asked for a big party; she wanted a celebration of her life. She asked for certain foods, and that it be held outdoors; Jennifer is planning it in her honor for this Summer. Her Mom wanted it to be a gift for others.

Losing a parent for Jennifer was something she didn’t understand until she was thrust into that situation, it never phased her until she was there. At the same time, support system from her friends and extended family—gave Jennifer a lot of gratitude, a sense that she was supported by so many people in the end.

Jennifer is keeping her Mom’s memory alive and participating as she has for the past 6 years in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for women. She wore a sign for her Mom last year and this year she will be celebrating her Mom’s life.

If you have a story to share, please email tracy@tracycrossley.com