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The Huron Expositor, 1997-11-12, Page 11TM MORON EXPOSITOR, Nevs t 11,1 tires -11 small pendant turns into giant fundraiser for cancer BY DAVID SCOTT Expositor Editor A breast cancer survivor has taken a small heart - shaped pewter pendant and turned it into a hugely suc- cessful fundraiser for cancer research, Carol Ann Cole, as part of a cress -country tour, spoke at the Seaforth Legion recently about her fight with cancer and how she discovered a way to raise money to fight the deadly disease. • A full house listened to 's, story of how she was with breast cancer time par mother was. Carol Ann and her three sisters had 24 hours to rally around their mother before she had surgery January 10, 1992. Even after their moth- er had a mastectomy Carol Ann still hadn't told her sis ters she had discovered a lump in one of her breasts. Then she sprung the news on everybody and it was a shock. Her mother's cancer Was still spreading despite surgery. Cole then went to see a can- cer expert at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. She told him "My mother just had (Cancer) surgery January 10." The doctor thought she was talking about January 10 of the previous year, not the pre- vious week. So he realized the urgency and tests were run as soon as possible on Carol Ann. Meanwhile, her mother was discharged from the hospital the next Friday and the family had a little celebration. But when Carol Ann returned home that night, there was a message from the doctor to phone him immedi- ately at home and she feared the worst. !'It was cancer. I was admit- ted immediately and had surgcry. It was a stage one tumor," she said. Removed Lymph Nodes ph Doctors removed three mar- ' WM-1AV `410ictit'tt`itf.'1'Olt tltdn't'h Vt to go through chemotherapy." $he took medication and 28 radiation treatments. Both her and her mother were receiv- iiag radiation at the same time. In her mother's case the treatments were used in an attempt to break up some of thc tumors. In Carol Ann's case it was more a preventa- tive measure. Although there is "absolute- ly nothing funny about can - der at all" Carol Ann said some black humour was shared with fellow cancer patients. including her moth- er. '"After the third week of radiation we decided to have a 'pity party'. We felt ugly and sick. So we got all dressed up to go out for brunch and my mother said 'let's just pretend we don't have cancer.' She was 76 years old and wanted to go to her favourite restaurant," she said. They were disappointed when they arrived to find a huge Zine -up. "We were there for 30 sec- onds when my mother said, `Go tell somebody 1 have cancer. I want my brunch and I want it now.'" So Carol Ann talked to the manager and told him her mother was suffering from cancer and this was her favourite restau- rant. "They brought us to the front of the line and sat us right down. We got great ser- vice and a glass of compli- mentary wine each. My mother doesn't drink so I got two free glass of wine" Carol Ann and her mother tried this gag a couple more times at restaurants. "It was a wonderful joke between us," she said. Carol Ann was away from her job as a vice president of Bell for five and a half months because of her health and her mother's health. "She (mother) wanted to die at home." When the vice president returned to her job at Bell she felt she'd lost focus and inter- est in her work. "At the end of the day my job didn't hold the reward it had. before I had cancer." Her colleagues at Bell started calling her about their cancer concerns. Cole had always been a very 'visi- ble' vice-president and peo- ple felt comfortable talking to -- her la6outheir problems. Discovers Heart In Hal x On a visit to her hometown of Halifax, she discovered a small pewter pendant called the `worry heart' made by Oceanart Pewter in Prospect, Nova Scotia. She bought one for herself and began to give them to friends at Bell who were fighting cancer. The lit- tle pendants have a thumb imprint on them and Carol Ann renamed the charm "comfort heart" in tribute to its soothing effect during times of distress. "I told people to hold them in their hand when they're going for a treatment...and think positive. thoughts." The very first comfort heart recip- ients were nicknamed "Holders of the Heart." Carol Ann said she would try to send positive energy in times of need to everyone with a comfort heart. At first it was only Bell Special events by H This summer featured two special events enjoyed by Huron -Perth Presbyterial WMS. The Spring Rally was a bus trip to 'Ibronto attended by 61 members. They visited WMS offices and it was informative and an opportu- nity to meet staff face-to- face. Lunch was served for the group during their visit to Kitox College. The afternoon proved most interesting when a tour was conducted through Evangel Hall and a first hand view of the mission being accomplished there. Later in the summer, the Fall conference was held in Shakespeare Presbyterian. Church following the. theme "You'can make a difference". Welcomes were given on behalf of the session and con- gregation by Rev. Rob Congram, and by Margery Irvine for the Shakespeare WMS. President Jean Edmonds reported on the recent council meeting. Reports from Synodical were given by Jean Carey, Robina Alexander and Janet Gibson. Edmonds conducted the busi- ness and announced the 1998 Synodical will be held in Stratford nekt April 22 and 23. All groups will be assist- ing the Stratford WMS. it is "y - Can Make a Difference • About 20 to 30 per cent all cancers are related to what you eat. Diet, including alcohol, has been linked to cancers of the breast, colon, mouth, stomach and pan- creas. • The Canadian Canoe Society believes a hea diet is one of your be defences against cancer. Enjoy a VARIETY o1 foods. • Emphasize cerealst breads, other grain prod- ucts, vegetables and fruits.: • Choose lower fat de foods, leaner meats a food prepared with 1lttle'. no fat • Achie44 `ari. healthy body weight enjoying regular physi ctivity and healthy ea employees or their relatives she gave the hearts to. Then a colleague suggested she sell them to raise money for can- cer research. "1 never thought of that. i went to the people I'd given the first hearts to and asked them about the idea." Their response was they were happy to be 'hold- ers of the heart' and could potentially he Carol Ann's strongest sales people. Setting Up Fundraiser Her next step was to track down the pewter company and ask them if they'd be interested. They said yes. Carol Ann discovered the company's vice president, Linda Power, was a two-time cancer survivor - once as a teen and again as a young mom with three boys. The company had been looking for a way to support cancer research. Power was very willing to go along with the idea, giving up its net pro- ceeds. Of the $10 sale price, more than $6 goes to the Canadian Cancer Society for cancer research. The balance covers production costs, ship- ping, handling and taxes. Cole is in the middle of a cross country promotion tour for the comfort hearts. She has already surpassed her goal of $500,000 for cancer research from the sale of the hearts and is now going for $1 million. Seaforth was stop number 37 of her 47 day tour. The event was organized by the Huron -Perth unit of the Canadian Cancer Society, Huron County Health Unit, Ontario Breast Screening Program and the Seaforth Community Hospital. "My involvement with the Comfort Heart is in loving memory of my mother, Mary Cole," says Carol Ann. But the heart is also of immediate value to cancer patients and their family and friends in their times of need, according to the Cancer Society of Canada. "My hope is that the money rair�e t.wjli fund,rescapcjr, that ,may peRv4e,the ikcy,to better cancer treatment, prevention and even a cure." Many other uses of Comfort Heart • Wear it on a chain or rib- bon as a pendant • Make it a Valentine with an inscription on the back • Use it as a ball marker when golfing • Hang on your Christmas tree or include as a stocking stutter • Give it as a hostess gift • Mail it with a greeting card overseas, etc., etc. uron-Perth WMS requested that all annual reports be given to the secre- taries by December 29. In response to needs at Evangel Hall contributions were received at the conference and a Targe quantity of food and clothing and money was collected in readiness for sending there. A book table was on display and Sally Scott gave an informative book review. She was assist- ed by Ruth Ward. Book sales exceeded $400. There are two studies available this coming year "A Cali to Hope" and "Loaves and Fishes". Following a nutri- tion break, Erin Crisfield, area educational consultant, conducted a workshop on the theme - "You Can Make a Difference" as in joy -love - smiles -greeting -helping -visit- ing. ' Diane Petrie introduced the guest speaker,. June Stevenson, editor of the Glad Tidings magazine. She spoke of her life and work in teach- ing and dealing with people in many areas, some in dras- tic situations. She also is a writer of film strips and verse. Her advice was as We face the trials of life - to "Stand Up, Speak Out and be Counted " for we can make a difference. a, After taking cancer prevent- ing drugs for five years, Cole still has examinations twice a year, including a mammo- gram. "If you think you have a lump in your breast you probably do. If you practice breast self-examination you can notice a change (if it hap- pens)." Comfort Hearts aro avail- able for sale at Seaforth Community Hospital and Seaforth Medical Clinic, Dreamt Screening Clinic Sandy Hodgins of the Ontario Breast Screening Clinic in London spoke to the audience following Cole's presentation. Hodgins, health promotion coordinator with the clinic, worked at a cancer clinic for 10 years before as a primary nurse and dealt almost exclu- sively with breast cancer. "I was constantly awed and humbled by the grace, strength and dignity of women dealing with their breast cancer. Hodgins recommends hav- ing a physician "you're com- fortable with and you respect and can ask questions to." The breast screening clinic in London works closely with family physicians but women are free to call up on their own to book appointments. Regular breast self-exami- nations arc important she says because "if we know what's normal for us there's more Opportunity to pick up a change." More information can be obtained by calling thc London Centre of the Ontario Breast Screening Program at 1-800-461-0640. Facts & Figures About Breast Cancer One out of nine women in Ontario will develop breast cancer. ( 0 • 18,600 new oases of nreact cancer were diag osed in 1996 in Canada god there ware 5,300 death* as a result (in Ontario 7,100 new cases and 2,000 deaths). There are tour major risk factors of breast cancer; Being a woman; increasing age, particularly women over4 60; previous breast cower, and a strong family history of breast cancer (mother, Bis+ ter, daughter). • Early detection of ;remit cancer saves lives. • All womon should have regular physical examina- tions of their breasts by a trained breast health prates. - atonal such as a physician or nurse practitioner. The cause of breast cancer In unknown - early dctiotl is the best method fort ring lives. • The majority of breast lumps (80 per cent) are dis- covered by the woman or her partner. • Most lumps round in breasts are not cancer. However, 0 you discover a Lump, contact your doctor Immediately. Public welcome to attend community care access meeting Everyone is welcome to attend next Tuesday's annual general meeting of the com- munity care access centre (CCAC) for Huron at the health and library complex, part of the old Hurunview, in h ilding. on Njg,,,way 4; near Clinton. The Nov. 18 meeting is at 7:30 p.rn. "The, volunteer board of directors hopes to develop a broad-based community involvement to help with thc planning and management of community care in Huron County," a press release states. "The purpose of this meet- ing is to inform the public of the work and care the CCAC provides to the community and the nature and cost of "this care," says Charles Baxter, chairman of the board. "Wc will also elect five new members to thc board of directors. The CCAC for Huron was one of the first in the province to form an access centre. it became operational at the start of this year. chithuainowsimagn Comedy common theme of Blyth's 1998 line-up Comedy is common denominator of the four plays at the main stage in artistic director Anne Chislett"s inaugural season at the Blyth Festival announced last week. "Comedy with a capital 'C' for charm, but also with a '0' for bite and 'A' for affirma- tive attitude." a press release comments. The plays are Yesteryear by Joanna McClelland, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs by area newspaper editor Keith Roulston, Thirteen Hands by Canada's Pulitzer Prize winning author Carol Shields and Huron County Blues by Andrew Moodie. Blyth's "second stage mini space, called the Garage, will also be an integral pari of the '98 season with an eclectric mix of shows beginning with a mini musical composed by Blyth Festival favorite, rol- licking John Roby, with book by Paul Ledoux,"the press release states. Wedding Adventure happens again soon Gail Gunderson and Brad Underwood arc getting mar- ried - again! The happy couple's big event returns to the Blyth Memorial Community Hall as Gail & Brad's Marvelous Wedding Adventure, on Nov. 28 and 29. The mystery dinner/theatre show was also produced last spring by the same crew. These thespians include author of the piece, Rob Bundy, Seaforth editor and playwright Dave Scott, as "a very inexpensive photograph- er," Kim Souch as "the church choir's pride and joy," Duncan McGregor, Floyd Herman, Anne Elliott, Kira Stuckey, Paul Ciufo, Carol Oriold and John Bettye and Arlene Damborough, who is also in charge of musical arrangements, . „ ,,,, Call Witt your news tips at 527-0240 Pre -Christmas Sale ')hen you shows same (lay receipts `� tor $50.00ormore ' to the Customer Service Centre. FEST1VAL •. MARKETPLACE',' "Time Well Spent" At the comer of C.N. Meier and Ontario Mon. to Sat. 9:30 am to 9:00 pm; Sun. 12 noon to 5:00 pm 1