Giving back to our community

On the evening of May 12, I returned home from managing an event at the Thomas J. Sullivan Banquet Hall. At some point during the night, I suffered a brain seizure as I slept on the couch.

“She woke up the following day with no memory of the prior week’s events,” said John Sullivan, who had no idea his family’s life was about to be upended.

I underwent surgery to remove a tumor from my brain and received regular radiotherapy to combat my diagnosis: grade 3 anaplastic oligodendroglioma, an aggressive brain tumor that grows faster than other types of tumors.

Since the first event was held two summers ago, I have finished chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

My hair is finally growing back, but I continue to wear my headbands, “It’s almost as if it’s a security blanket. I have been wearing them for so long, I feel naked without one.”

As my hair continues to fill in I’ll hopefully wear them “less and less”

I have had clean brain scans since finishing chemo in March 2018, which is great news. Following my surgery, I have had an MRI every three months, but the screenings have since been pushed back to every six months.

“I just had my most recent scan one on March 29, 2019, and it was all clear!”

As a precaution, though, I’ll have to endure scans for the rest of my life to monitor

where the tumor once was and ensure it doesn’t return.

“Every clean scan I have gives me more hope,” she says, noting that her two young daughters keep her plenty busy.

This fundraiser is so close to my heart because I want anyone who is fighting cancer to feel like they’re not alone.

I want to be able to make a difference in the ugly world of cancer. I feel like every person is affected by cancer in some way, either personally or through someone they know.