BridgeWalk Teams Share Their Stories

Living Well Cancer Resource Center Teams Preparing for May 15 Bridge Walk Share Their Stories Teams tell the stories behind why they walk to support the free programs and services offered by LivingWell

On May 15, over 1,500 people whose lives have been touched by cancer will gather at on the island at Fabyan Park, in the Kane County Forest Preserve to participate in the 5k Bridge Walk to benefit the Living Well Cancer Resource Center. Many at the Bridge Walk will be cancer survivors and their family and friends. Others will be those left behind by a loved one who lost their battle with cancer. And still others will be people who simply want to rally behind the cause of Living Well Cancer Resource Center to provide programs and services free of charge.

Every team preparing for the Bridge Walk has a story.

Real Bears Fans Wear Pink

"Lace up your boots, because we're walking!" For the Breast Cancer Boot Camp participants, entering a team in the LivingWell Bridge Walk is a natural extension of the program they participate in at LivingWell. The Breast Cancer Boot Camp program is all about not just surviving breast cancer but thriving through treatment and in life. The program is an example of the Chicago Bears Football Club giving back to their community. It was made possible through a grant by Bears Care, the charitable beneficiary of the Chicago Bears Football Club, and the efforts of the "Real Bears Fans Wear Pink" t-shirt campaign.

In a light-hearted take on the challenges the Breast Cancer Boot Camp team takes on, team captain Renee Ayer created an inspirational chant for the troop in traditional military cadence: "We don't care what we've been told; this cancer stuff is getting old! We walk today 'cause we've got feet, and LivingWell just can't be beat!"

Ayer, a resident of Campton Hills, was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and understands firsthand the difficulties of the journey. "When you're dealing with cancer, so much is happening to you that you don't feel in control of. The Breast Cancer Boot Camp gives us the opportunity to take charge of our health and lives amongst a community of people that have a shared experience."

Breast Cancer Boot Camp group members include a diverse collection of women in terms of age, careers, interests, and stage in the cancer journey, but all of whom are sharing the experience of being cancer survivors or care givers. "The community of participants in the Breast Cancer Boot Camp are all at different stages of treatment, recovery and getting on with life, but we inspire each other to thrive - not just survive - and we use our individual strengths to mentor and support each other," Ayer added.

The Breast Cancer Boot Campers feel comfortable baring their heads, as well as their hearts, with each other in the group meetings, which could include discussion on nutrition, dealing with treatment-related fatigue, or finding ways to bring balance into life. The last meeting featured a visit by the staff of She-She, an intimate boutique in Geneva, who offered suggestions on prosthetics and undergarments. The next meeting on April 26 will feature a dietician speaking about nutrition after breast cancer.

Kreiner’s Cancer Crunchers Care

The Kreiner’s Cancer Crunchers team features cancer survivor Zoeie Kreiner and some of her six children. The team, which could reach 20 members, hopes to raise $5,000 in donations.

For Zoeie Kreiner and her children, the LivingWell Cancer Resource Center has been an integral part of their cancer journey. Kreiner was first diagnosed with cancer in early April 2009, but she didn’t tell anyone until several months later, when she realized she couldn’t hide her diagnosis from her kids anymore.

Kreiner remembers starting to cry when she told a volunteer at LivingWell, “I have to figure out how to tell my kids that their whole life is going to change.” She discovered some answers in a book she found in the library at the resource center: “Our Mom Has Cancer,” written by sisters, Adrienne and Abigail Ackermann.

Her children, ranging in age from seven to 20, reacted in different ways. Her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah, asked if cancer was contagious. Stephen, also 11, felt it was somehow his fault. And Mary, Kreiner’s youngest, just crawled into her mom’s lap and cried.

But the programs at LivingWell provided the biggest help. “Cancer becomes an almost all-consuming thing,” Kreiner said. “You want [your children] to have the opportunity to just be kids.”

LivingWell provides such an opportunity with its five-day nature camp during the summer. For Kreiner, it was a godsend. She thought that her kids’ summer was ruined last year, but “Mary thinks about the nature camp first” when asked about that summer, Kreiner said. When asked what she likes about LivingWell, Mary responded, “I like the camp one. We get to go down to the creek.”

Kreiner wants to give back to LivingWell because of the “peace of mind I get that my kids have a place to go to talk and receive support.” Kreiner stressed the importance of the event, stating “I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk 10 steps, but I’ll be there. [LivingWell] has to go on for people with kids like mine.”

Kathy’s Circle Team Honors Memory of Kathy Harks

Three years ago, Kathy Harks was an avid runner who ran the Chicago marathon in October with a group of good friends. Unfortunately, two months later she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Kathy went through treatment, which ended the following spring, and the cancer went into remission. By August, she felt well enough to run a half marathon with her husband, Glenn Harks. Sadly, the cancer returned aggressively two years later, and Kathy passed away last year.

After her death, Glenn Harks says that he and the family sat down together at the kitchen table to decide how the family could best honor Kathy’s memory, raise awareness for cancer support services, and also to raise funds to support these services. They decided to create a Bridge Walk team to support the LivingWell Cancer Resource Center, where Glenn and Kathy had benefitted from many services as she went through the cancer journey. Thus, the team Kathy’s Circle was created by Glenn Harks, their children, Lauren, 27; Brian, 24; and Ashley, 22, and Kathy’s sister, Carol LaFleur. The team logo, which was developed by their friend Brenda Kehm’s son, Mark, is angel wings with a circle around it to represent Kathy surrounded by a circle of family and friends.”

Glenn Harks says that LivingWell was a major help for Kathy and his family as she went through the cancer journey. “Fighting cancer by your self is hard,” Harks said. “Together, Kathy and I used many of the services and programs at LivingWell, and Kathy also brought her dad to LivingWell, who was going through lung cancer.”

Harks said that Kathy felt very fortunate to be a part of the Gynecological Cancer Support group at LivingWell. “The support provided by others going through the same thing was something that I just couldn’t give her,” Harks said.

Harks is an employee of Hewlett-Packard, and helped to facilitate the donation of state-of- the-art computers and software to LivingWell. “We used the center for a lot of things,” Harks said, “and it is a place that I will donate to for the rest of my life, either personally or through my company. The center is just a huge asset for the community.”

For more information on the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, to join the Bridge Walk, or to donate, please go to http://www.livingwellcrc.org or call 630-262-1111.