Impact- Activist

Once I was a listener and now I am involved.

Dad died of cancer and I became The Nurse of Hope for the American Cancer Society and I went out a spoke about cancer. My twins put on a fundraiser by riding their bikes with others from Meadville to Cochranton and at that time the boys were 10.

This was a major undertaking but their grandpa had been a major figure in their lives as I was divorced when they were 3 and had moved back to the Meadville area to be close to family.

Dad was important to them and they wanted something they could do for grandpa.

Ron and I had married and dad was there for that but he was not there when David was born although he did know I was pregnant. He died before David was born.

I was deeply involved in the Cancer Society at that time and with the addition of other children, work and going to school at night, the dedication and time waned.

I had a family to raise. I remained constant in my interest but the time was spent in other ways.

I changed jobs and continued my education and spent my free moments at kids’ activities and church and with friends and the time passed.

It is hard for me to believe that it was more than 20 years ago when this journey truly started.

I found myself working at the hospital and the diagnosis of breast cancer came and I reinvested myself towards being an active part of cancer with committees and groups.

Then the door opened just this year and I stepped up to become the Clinical Nurse Breast Care Educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute.

It seemed like the place I was meant to be.

I am reaching out to all aspects of the community to bring education and training to women of all ages. I am building programs and extending myself by being involved in other programs.