Sandy Hook Volunteer Share Stories of Hope and Triumph at Relay for Life

Sandy Hook, CT — From tragedy to triumph, the life of a cancer fighter, survivor and their loved ones is a touching journey hard to imagine unless you've walked closely with someone whose battled the disease.

Last Saturday, organizers of Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury & Redding Relay for Life gathered with hundreds of volunteers to raise money to help find a cure for cancer. The event was held at the Bethel High School track and included games, raffles, Bethel high School's Jazz Band, Crosstown Band and a new feature this year. 

The "Survivor's Showcase" featured several cancer survivor's inspirational stories, read by event organizers Kelly Stewart and Alyssa Amaturo. Each survivor "walked the carpet" that was lined by luminaries while their theme song played.

Danbury resident Kathryn Kosek, an Elementary School teacher,  led the procession with the Monty Python classic, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." Kosek received the diagnosis that she had breast cancer only four months after losing her beloved husband to lung cancer. She sat down to write a list of who she wanted her belongings to go to but soon came to the realization that she was determined to fight her cancer with everything she had. With the help of her dad, her friends and a cancer support group, Kathryn made it through her treatments and went into remission.

Carol Ann Viebrock has been a fixture at Bethel's Relay For Life for the last 17 years. Her friend, Debbie Hermansen started the Pink Ladies team but passed away after a long battle with cancer. Now Carol Ann and the rest of the ladies carry on the team in Debbie’s honor. The Pink Ladies have raised over $150,362 for the American Cancer Society. 

Nancy Carlson, of Danbury, was diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma Stage 3A in 1997 and has had two superficial melanomas removed since then. Her diagnosis was delayed because the lesion was white instead of the "normal" black color. Her treatment was started with 20 days of intravenous Alpha Interferon which gave her fevers and aching for a year.
Catherine Bach is a "loud and proud' survivor from Bethel who found out on Thanksgiving weekend in 2006 that she had Stage 2 breast cancer. She was also friends with Debbie Hermansen who fought a long cancer battle and "made something unbearable seem bearable." She joined "an army of women," The Pink Ladies, and made fighting cancer her mission, determined that cancer was not going to own her or define who she was. 

A new cancer survivor, Wendy Mitchell of Bethel (yes, that's me) was also featured. Kellly Stewart read my story below:
"Wendy was dying her hair when a glob of Manic Panic Vampire Red hair dye fell on her left breast. When she wiped it off she felt “it.” The next morning, she called her doctor who had her come in right away. She was hoping he was going to say “it’s nothing,” or “it’s just a cyst.” But instead he said she needed a biopsy. Wendy received the results of that biopsy on World Cancer Day in 2015. She was diagnosed with three types of cancer including a very rare and aggressive form of cancer called Metaplastic Carcinoma. After enduring four surgeries, 16 rounds of chemo and 30 radiation treatments, Wendy is doing well. They don’t use the word remission with her type of cancer because of its high recurrence rate so she will always be in “treatment.” Wendy learned from her cancer just how strong she is and that she has a positive outlook on life. Despite all the bad that was dished out to her, she was able to pick out the specks of good. Like an oyster uses the sand in its shell to create a beautiful pearl, Wendy felt the rough, abrasive things that have scuffed her up have also been able to polish and shine the good things on the inside of her so she can share her own pearls with others."

Also featured in the Survivor's Showcase were volunteers and caregivers.

Sandy Hook resident Mary Ellen Wallin encourages others to live in the moment. Her motivation to volunteer came from caring for three family members and supporting them as they battled cancer. Mary Ellen served as caregiver for her mother, her brother and also for her aunt. She took them to treatments and was there for them as they struggled with this devastating disease. Mary Ellen lost all three of her loved ones to cancer. So now she honors them by volunteering.

Nancy Scofield of Bethel is no stranger to cancer. She hasn’t suffered from the disease herself but she deals with it every day in her role as an oncology nurse at Greenwich Hospital. When Nancy was a child, her young cousin was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 12. He fought cancer for 12 years, and passed away at age 24. This made an impression on young Nancy and planted the seed that led to her pursuing a career in nursing and choosing to be an oncology nurse.

Bethel resident Maryclaire Quine doesn’t have cancer  but cancer has played a huge unwanted role in her life. She has served as a caregiver to several of her family members who have battled the disease, including her mother who was diagnosed with and oral and brain cancer. Her mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984. She beat it. In 1995 she battled small bowel cancer and she beat that too. She was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1998, but she wasn’t able to win that fight. 
Maryclaire has been participating in the Relay For Life of Bethel since it started 19 years ago. As a member of the volunteer training and task force, she has volunteered at countless Relays across New England and the country. 

Following the Survivor Showcase, dinner was held for survivors and caregivers, donated by Rizzuto's in Bethel. 
Community Manager Alyssa Amaturo said the Survivor's Showcase "will definitely go down as one of my favorite memories from any Relay I have been to before."

40 teams and 252 participants have raised $77,310.99 to date. Donations are being accepted through August 30, 2016. Donate here.

Click here to see a photo gallery of Relay for Life 2016.
Photos by Wendy Ann Mitchell