Robyn Hassell, New Braunfels, TX

Surviving family:

Danny and Becky Hassell (Mom and Dad), Christie Hassell (sister),  Daniel and Jonathan Hassell (brothers), Joshua Hassell (nephew), Eva (sister-in-law).

By Becky Hassell

Robyn was a beautiful, vibrant 25 year old girl.

She developed a blood clot in her left shoulder on Sept. 19th, 2008.

After a month in the hospital in Austin, Tx. we moved her to MDA. There they did a colonoscopy and found she had a tumor in her colon. She lived 8 weeks after that diagnosis. We lost her on Dec. 20th, 2008.

Robyn was a precious daughter. She had a smile that literally lit up a room. She was full of life and very outgoing. We had no idea she was so sick. She looked so healthy. We miss her terribly. She was a joy to have as our daughter. She was thoughtful, kind, independent and sweet.

Robyn loved the Lord and was never afraid to share her beliefs with others. Especially while being treated at MD Anderson. She cared very deeply for others and shared her faith often. It didn’t matter who they were..Doctors , nurses, technicians, therapists. I know she left an impression on many who cared for her.

I know that Robyn would want the world to know how much she loved life. She would have been the very last person on this earth that I thought this would happen to. She was so full of life! I hope by sharing her story it might save another young person. It might cause a doctor to do a colonoscopy when otherwise he would not even think of doing one. How I wish we had known.

Visit Robyn’s Caring Bridge Site

Bruce CizekTinley Park, IL

Michele Miritlello (daughter)
Anthony, Andrew & Addyson Miritello (grandchildren)
Michael Cizek (son)
Eric and Charlie (grandchildren)
Jaime cizek (daughter)
Josh Maye (son)

by Michele Miritlello

My dad was 54 years old when he passed. He was retired from the Tinley Park Fire Depatrment where he had been for over 25 years. He loved riding his motorcycle and spending time with his grand kids.

He is special to me because he was always there for me and attended the birth of our first child.

My mom was always organized and always got up at the crack of dawn to start her day on the road. She cooked most of the meals, had everyones clothes ready, and never missed any sports games of ours while we were in school and college.

She was very determined to do what she had to do for herself and for others. On a lighter side she was also funny. She did corky little things like say w-o-w-i-e when something was outstanding or screaming when something excited her and making faces when someone sang off key.

During her last months she was diagnosed with pneumonia and was hospitalized for a few days. During this time she was organizing the Christmas program for the church. The day after she was released from the hospital she directed the Christmas program as the pianist. It was probably one of her best performances. She performed that day as if she did not have cancer at all. Matter of fact you wouldn’t have even know she had cancer the way she was performing. Unfortunately, after that performance she was completely drained until her passing. That shows her determination of how she was going to make that program happen.

My mom loved playing the piano, driving/riding all over, going to walmart in every city of Virginia, fishing, exercising (walking, swimming, aerobics classes).

One of my mom’s special talents was her gift of teaching music. I have never in my life seen such an impact on students. She taught and touched so many students, especially those that did not excel in other subjects who were your typical trouble makers. My mom was able to reach out to these students and all other students and engage them in music.

My mom played hand bells for the Presbyterian Church, she worked on the polls every year during election time, she was the pianist for her own church and a deaconess. She was Teacher of the Year for Virginia. She worked yard sales and directed Holiday programs for the church.

She was special to me becasue she did everything for me in order to make me successful. She gave me strength in order to become independent, she taught me how to be a Christian, how to love, and how to always smile even if it was a bad day. My mom was and will always be my strength.

When my mom was first married her mother passed and she took in her younger brother and younger sister and had them graduate from the high school in their town. She raised her grandson during the time she and my dad decided to retire and travel. Most importantly to me is that she always smiled. It wasn’t just a regular smile, it was the largest smile ever all of the time.

Drenette WoodsonWaynesboro, VA

My mom’s philosophy on life was, work hard and you’ll get what you deserve. My mom was the hardest worker I knew. She always kept busy and always did things to better herself. At the age of 65 she learned how to swim. She took PowerPoint classes and was one of the best PowerPoint presenters I knew. She learned Excel, which is impressive considering I am a professor and I haven’t even learned it completely. She used to wake up at 4am to go exercise until about 8 or 9am EVERY DAY. My mom barely rested until her last month of life in which she still got out to take a ride in the car.

She has been missed by many but a piece of her is in everyone she ever touched.

Amy Covey

Live. The single word sign hung visibly in Amy Covey’s home where she and anyone who visited would easily see. Such a simple four letter word, but for Amy it embodied her whole being – not just in her fight with colon cancer, but in the purpose of life itself. Make the most of every minute, every relationship, every opportunity for enjoyment, every chance to help someone, every… – well, you get the picture. “Live” to Amy didn’t just mean survive – it meant to embrace life in all its joy, glory, and pain, regardless of her personal circumstances. Amy’s zeal to “live” preceded her colon cancer diagnosis, but it became even more pronounced afterwards.

Amy grew up in Houston, Texas, graduating Clear Lake High School in 1994. A volleyball scholarship took her to Tulane University with graduation in 1998. For the next nine years, she lived and worked in New York City, along the way earning a Masters degree in Education from St Johns University. Amy was always searching for work that she enjoyed and could support her living in the City – an elusive combination!

In April 2006, after emergency colon surgery, she was diagnosed as Stage 3c colon cancer. For Amy, her family, and friends, the world stopped spinning. After six months of Sloan-Kettering guided chemo regimen – 5FU, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin – Amy had one month before her first post treatment PET scan showed metatases in remote lymph nodes in her neck and abdomen. The dreaded Stage 4.

As long as any of us can remember, Amy loved photography. She had a great “eye” and worked hard to create wonderful images. Her dream was to make photography her life’s work. During her initial treatment for colon cancer, she made the decision to leave New York and pursue a degree in photography at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. The early reoccurrence and need to return quickly to treatment did not deter her plan, and in February 2007, she began classes at Brooks as well as bi-weekly chemo that included Irinotecan and Avastin. We never heard a complaint about having to keep up with her classwork amid the chemo effects – she was exactly where she wanted to be doing what she had always wanted to do.

Amy responded exceptionally well to the new treatment and by early 2008 appeared to be clear of any active metastases. 2008 was a wonderful year of hope, apparent remission, and flat out fun for Amy. Armed with her lifelong friends and new ones in Santa Barbara, Amy “lived” like there was no tomorrow. Her photography skills blossomed and she became a true artist. Brooks recognized her as their “Outstanding First Year Student”. A year’s worth of planning culminated in a trip to Burning Man 2008 (a trip she thought everyone should make). Unfortunately, CEA levels begin to creep up in the Fall.

In January 2009, scans showed that her colon cancer had returned with a vengeance with widespread metastases. Surgery in early February began a rapid decline from which Amy never recovered – colon cancer metastases in her lower spine and its associated debilitating pain overcame her spirit and health and precluded her from resuming chemo or entering into a clinical trial. Even with the debilitating pain, Amy made a trip to Houston to seek treatment through an MD Anderson clinical trial. Unfortunately, her health had deteriorated too much for that treatment. After being advised to seek hospice help, Amy elected to make one more painful and tearful trip from Houston to Colorado Springs where she lived her last three weeks at the home of her parents.

Amy, Hannah, Maggie, and Isla

“CoveyLove” – Amy’s Facebook alias, her “handle”, her persona, and perhaps her legacy. Amy “lived” and “loved” unconditionally. No one was dearer to her than her three nieces – Hannah, Maggie, and Isla. She was their “Crazy Aunt Amy” who always let them play with her iPhone and the apps that she downloaded specifically for them, who played with them like a big sister, and who cherished them as her number one photo subjects.

Our family has a hole that Amy once filled. Her energy, sense of humor and love of all that she met is a goal each of us will now attempt to achieve.

Four generations of our family!

My name is Diann Smith.  My family and I honored the five year passing of my sister Julie Link Daniels on July 26th by gathering four generations of relatives and walking the Monon Trail in Indianapolis, IN.  We were all decked out in purple shirts, her favorite color.  It was a beautiful summer day – very warm and sunny!  First, we gathered at the cemetery to place fresh flowers on her grave and join together in prayer.  We then had all the children take turns reading messages that each family had written to Julie and these messages were attached to purple balloons.  After reading the message, each child released the balloon to the heavens and boy, did we ever feel her presence.

The balloon my sister’s children released to the skies at first looked as if it wasn’t going to make it, for they had tied an extra long message for her onto the balloon and it was pulling the balloon down a bit.  It would rise and fall, rise and fall and finally, my sister’s son said,   “Don’t worry, because my Mom will still see it!”

Each child released the balloon

The angels up above must have enjoyed that, because that balloon finally took off!

After that, we drove over to the Monon Trail and walked about an hour in her memory.  We were quite the sight – all 38 of us walking in purple and honoring such a beautiful person.  We were thrilled when people stopped us and asked about our shirts and what cause we were supporting.

The family photo represents four generations of our family.  The oldest participant is 87 years old and the youngest is 15 months.  Our group included Julie’s husband & children, her parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, brother-in-law and sister-in-laws!

We thank the Colon Cancer Coalition for their help in creating our t-shirts and for their support and inspiration.  It was an event we’ll never forget.

The Coalition thanks Diann and all of Julie’s family for honoring her in this special way and for their very generous gift to the Coalition.

David and Erica

Dad was diagnosed in May of 2004 at age 50. He had had pain for about a year, but was afraid of doctors, in spite of our constant insisting that he get it looked at. Once he did, they found a golf ball sized tumor that required immediate chemo, radiation and a colostomy.

Dad was a champ, and the funniest man I know. He would put post-it notes with poems and notes on his butt for his nurses when it was time for radiation–his favorite read “does this post-it make my butt look big?” When it was time for his surgery, he and my mom had a “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye” party and he got a lot of use out of the phrase “Papa’s got a brand new bag.” His amazing attitude and humor, kept him going throughout his disease.

Sadly, the cancer continued to grow and spread throughout his liver and lungs and finally his spine. We kept him for longer than his diagnoses–he made it three and a half years! Sadly, on December 2007, he peacefully and beautifully passed away. I saw on his face his seeing Heaven, and he smiled as he took his last breath. He was 53.

David Reid

I carry my Dad with me everywhere I go in my heart. He helps me to live my life–my new philosophy is to do the things I want to do now and see the world before it is too late. I remember being in Oregon on the phone with him (he lived in Mississippi) and telling him about how beautiful it was there. He told me that he was so happy that I was getting to see something that he never would be able to see. I will never forget that. I know he would be proud of me and the things that I am doing and how I choose to live my life.

One more neat story that I’ll share with you–when dad was 19, he and three friends carved “Remember Duane Allman” into a dirt bank on the side of a highway in MS after Duane Allman was killed. It was there for years and even featured in Rolling Stone Magazine and many of their book compilations.

In October 2007, Gregg Allman was going to perform in my hometown, so the newspaper ran an article about them and interviewed Gregg, who told them that his mother had the photo framed in her house because it meant so much to her that someone made a tribute to her son.

David Reid

The guys all got to go to the concert and meet Gregg where they presented him with a signed and framed photo of the carving. This was just a little over a month before Dad died. Isn’t that amazing? It was like God and the world was letting Dad have that moment before it was time for him to go. I am so proud of him.

Paul with the Brunelle FamilyColchester, VT

Paul was diahnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer. He lived 2 yrs and 10 months with the diease and lost his life on March 12,2009 at age 42. He received treatment at FAHC-Burlington, VT

His surviving family members:  Wife-Norma Paquette-Schnabel, 9 yr old son-Jerrett, Step Children- Mindy & Bobby Jennings, Mother- Blanche Couture, Father-Edward & Carol (spouse) Schnabel,Brothers-Keith & Coleen (spouse) Schnabel, Judes & Jennifer (spouse) Schnabel, Ed  Schnabel, John Schnabel, Dave & Janet (spouse) Couture, Todd & Lori (spouse) Brunelle. Nieces-Amber, Samantha, Emily, Jordan, Katelyn Schnabel, Nicholas & Samantha Brunelle.

Paul loved anything to do with automotives. Paul owned his own towing business and even built and drove his own race car. Paul’s passion was building models. Paul’s collection of models will live on with his son Jerrett. Paul had even met a dear young lad on the internet with their interest in model building. Paul had continued working and talking about his passion almost to the last day of his life. But most of all Paul treasured his wife, son, family and all his friends who meant the world to him. Paul’s life here gave all of us Jerrett and we are very thankful for that. The love and support Paul always showed his family and even his dearest friends will be remembered always. Not a day goes by that we all do not think of Paul until we all meet again.

My husband was deployed overseas with the Army National Guard in 2004 and that was the most devasting ordeal that my kids and I had to go through. Paul was always there for us and always called to check in on us and spent as much time as he could with us. He kept our spirits high and always made us laugh. We know Paul will be there as Todd’s guardian angel and watch over him come this next deployment in January 2010. It will be hard for my kids & I without his support.

Last year was the first year Get Your Rear in Gear happened in Colchester, VT. Todd & our two kids ran this 5k event and Paul was there at the finish line supporting them. I remember Paul saying, ”It is not the person who dies that will be suffering, it is the people that are left behind with the pain”. This year we are going to form a team. “Team Pauly” and all his family & friends will be attending in remembrance of this great husband, father, son, brother, uncle, & friend.

I’m so sorry to write…that our dear Sara passed away last evening at approximately 10:20 pm. She was surrounded by her two favorite men in the world, her father and me, and her best friend Howie (Nancy Fowler). We have all lost a dear friend, confidante and pillar of optimism and beauty. I don’t know where to begin, what to say or how to end so I’ll just close by writing what I’ve told Sara for the past 11 months, “Sweet dreams
Lovey, everything’s gonna be alright.” I will post in the short future regarding details of Sara’s celebration of life.
David

Sara NybergRochester, MN

My name is Sara Nyberg and I was diagnosed with Ceum (colon) Cancer during a colonoscopy in December 2008 at 39 years of age. I started a testing process to figure out why I was having abdominal and back pain with a loss of appetite in June which consisted of a ct scan without contrast dye, urinalysis, blood work, gynecological exam, fecal test, abdominal ultrasound and finally colonoscopy.

The doctor that performed the colonoscopy visited with me prior to the procedure and reassured me that he more than likely would not find anything as I was so young to have colon cancer. Shortly after the procedure my husband, David and I were taken to a small waiting room to speak with the physician. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2000, so I instantly knew something wasn’t right when we were asked to talk to a doctor immediately follow the test. The typical protocol is a follow up visit with a family doctor or a phone call. This couldn’t be good, and it wasn’t. I was told there was a mass in my cecum and that I had colon cancer. Wow, how this would shake my world would still remain to be seen.

I had an appointment with my family doctor who set up another ct scan and an appointment with a surgeon. The scan showed another mass and surgery also revealed the cancer had spread to both sides of my abdomen, including my ovaries. All visible cancer was removed, but diagnosis was grim due to the severity of metastases and the features they had.

After two months of healing I began the first of eight chemotherapy treatments. This is where I learned that chemo is not for whimps! The more treatments I had the harder the side effects and the longer recovery time.

Today I had my second CT scan since my surgery. The first one showed several soft tissue densities that needed to be followed. Today’s scan showed that these densities have grown in size and more were seen. This was very deflating to my husband and me as the aggressive chemo I was on is unusual to have cancer growths while under going treatment. Less than 10% of patients show growth. There is a study I can try and I took home the information to read and absorb.

The amazing and touching realization of my diagnosis and disease is the support I have been given by my friends, my family and my community. It really shows the power of love and positive energy that we have all around us and is there for us to draw from when needed.

I was a hairstylist for almost 20 years and my wonderful co-workers not only formed a team for us to participate in the Rochester “Get Your Rear In Gear” walk, but also have organized an open house at the salon the night before for a fundraiser to kick off the event. Times like these, as a person living with cancer, make me aware of all of the blessings that have been given to me and if I can raise awareness for prevention of this awful disease, it will be energy well spent.

Dana Madden

I miss my daughter Dana every single day.  She gave me unconditional love, she was my best friend, my only child.  Dana had a crazy sense of humor and could make anyone smile.  She loved video games, old movies, snowmobiling, swimming and taking care of stray animals.  Her concern for others, and her concern for me, was apparent even when she was sick.

My daughter had just celebrated her first wedding anniversary.  She hadn’t been feeling well for a while, so her doctor told her to have a colonoscopy.  She had the test on February 24th and on that day we found out that she had colon cancer.  After her surgery on March 10th, we learned that her cancer was stage IV and had spread to her liver.  Even though she was sick, she didn’t want people to feel sorry for her and she didn’t like to be treated like she was sick.  She was more concerned about me and how I was dealing with her illness, and if it happened, her passing away.  She was worried about me and how it would affect me.  Do you see why I miss her?

Dana fought for 2 ½ years.  She lost her battle on August 19th, 2008.  She was only 32 years old.