REAL Exclusive Magazine

The American Cancer Society: Building a Foundation for People to Unite

By Kacey C. Krznaric

What does the American Cancer Society mean to you?

“It means encouragement and support.  It means strength and hope-
strength for your voice to be heard and hope that others will hear it.”
-Sean McDonald, cancer survivor and ACS volunteer

“It means ‘enrichment’ in every sense of the word. 
It creates a platform for people to connect from all different walks of life.”
-Linda Sloan, cancer survivor and ACS volunteer

“It means family.
Family is supposed to love, encourage, and support one another. 
That’s what we do here at the American Cancer Society and that’s what we are.”
-Cynthia Dunlap, Area Executive Director, American Cancer Society

Aside from originally being from different parts of the United States, these three individuals share a very common bond: each has been personally affected by the devastating effects of cancer- whether through their own diagnosis or that of a close family member- and have become shining examples of strength, courage, and compassion throughout the community. The American Cancer Society has been joined by some amazing people over the years; among those are Sean McDonald, Linda Sloan, and Cynthia Dunlap. Through their willingness to share their journeys with us- from their trials to their triumphs- we had the opportunity to get to know each of them on a more personal level, and we are better for that.

Our passage into the lives of these remarkable people begins with Sean McDonald.  Originally from St. Louis, MO, Sean has been living in Sarasota for the past 6 years. He is a 2nd grade teacher, a true humanitarian, and a cancer survivor.  Having two separate diagnoses of breast cancer and another for testicular cancer between the years 2000 and 2008, the first at age 19, Sean has been through some very trying times in his young life. He shares with us his most difficult time and the steps he had to take to be the healthy and spirited young man he is today. With his cancer in remission, Sean is a proud example of what it really means to be a survivor. “Telling someone you have cancer is one thing.  It is an even harder struggle telling them what kind,” Sean recounts, “and when it’s your whole life, it’s hard not to talk about it.”

With the undying support from his family and a lot of soul-searching within himself, Sean decided to seek counseling to help him cope with the plaguing question of “why him” and “why breast cancer” as well as the constant worrying of the cancer coming back. In addition to this, Sean has received immeasurable support since he got involved with the American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life 2 years ago; which he now sits as the Survivor Chair of the event and was the Key Speaker at the 2010 relay this past spring. Sean recognizes all of the warmth he received from the organization but says that staff member, Martha Gilmartin was instrumental in showing him the unique position he was in and how he could use it to spread awareness, particularly among men. Sean has had, and will continue to have, a tremendous impact on the American Cancer Society and everyone it reaches. Sean has grown in leaps and bounds over the past several years and is currently looking for a publisher for a book he’s written about a man’s fight with breast cancer. His journey is testament to unshakable strength, inspiring courage, and a sincere and genuine heart.

Next, we have the opportunity to look into the life of another breast cancer survivor but with a very different story. Through her journey, we get to see not only the strength of a woman, but of a wife, a mother, and real estate professional. Linda Sloan has made her mark on both the local community and the real estate business. Her website, www.sellingforacure.com, was created to combine her personal passion for cancer advocacy with her professional passion in real estate with a portion of the proceeds donated to cancer research. In fact, if you visit Linda’s website, you can get information on her Relay for Life team that was created through her company, Prudential Palms Realty. They placed 5th in Sarasota last year, raising $10,000 through sponsorship and fundraising.

Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer while living in Chicago in 1992 as a young wife with 2 small boys. With a strong family support system and an oncologist (and family friend) that saw a fighter in her that would ultimately lead to her survival, Linda was able to uncover a strength in herself that only a mother could find. With an aggressive treatment plan and an unstaggering will to be there when her children went off to college, Linda battled through her disease and has been in remission for 18 years. As a breast cancer survivor, Linda has molded herself into a true role model for cancer patients and their families. She dedicated her life to her family and raising her children and now that they have successfully left for college, Linda has “redirected her energies,” she says, “and this is my priority now.” She holds the position of Mission Education Chair of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, coordinating events and key speaking roles throughout the area and during the event on October 23rd.

Linda recalls her time going though cancer treatment as a very difficult part of her life. There were limited resources available to her and a lack of awareness in society regarding relationships and social issues. She had to rely heavily on her family and herself to make it through these tough times. Now, there are programs available for people that weren’t in existence when she was diagnosed. Because of that, she is very involved with a program called “Look Good, Feel Better,” a program that teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. It is geared toward helping women look beautiful and feel empowered through the use of cosmetic application classes (all make up is donated), sessions on how to wear a head scarf, and classes to help women choose and style a wig. Linda pays it forward by getting the word out about programs like these to help women from every age, background, and stage of treatment maintain high self-esteem and remain unified through a process that can be daunting and lonely.

The last stop on our journey is with Cynthia Dunlap, Area Executive Director. This is where we get some insight into the interworking of the American Cancer Society: the driving force behind its existence, the resources they provide, and get to know a little bit about the people that inspire the staff, leaving their mark on the organization indefinitely.
 
Cynthia and her husband Scott moved to Sarasota from Boston more than thirteen years ago. She was the General Manager of a popular Faneuil Hall Marketplace restaurant – Serendipity. Originally from New Brunswick Canada, she is the youngest of nine children. She found herself at the American Cancer Society by a very serendipitous series of events. Shortly after moving to Sarasota, Cynthia lost her father to cancer- he was diagnosed on a Monday and lost his battle that Friday. During this traumatic time for Cynthia, losing her father so suddenly, she received a call from the American Cancer Society asking her to come in for an interview. It was her “serendipitous moment” and she seized it- providing her with more than a new career for herself, but an opportunity to honor her father. 

Starting with coordinating and staffing events, Cynthia later transitioned into the role of Director for Relay For Life for the entire state of Florida, which is currently the largest nonprofit event in the world, held in more than 5000 communities across the country and in nineteen countries outside the Unites States. “Relay For Life is truly the driving force behind our organization,” says Cynthia, “not only because it raises money but it creates an awareness and on patient services, our advocacy efforts and educates on early detection and prevention within the community and throughout the world.” From there, she has moved into her current role in which she oversees a five county territory and mentors new employees and volunteers as they take over the coordination and staffing of American Cancer Society activities.

Cynthia has impacted the American Cancer Society through not only the professional work she does as the Area Director but she creates and facilitates meaningful relationships between staff, sponsors, volunteers, and those affected by the disease. Her efforts are realized when she sees other people reach out to each other and form their own friendships, support systems, and unified communities. “That,” says Cynthia “is rewarding enough in itself.”

Each year Cynthia looks forward to two very special and significant award nomination processes that take place annually: the Courage Award, given to those who had a personal experience with cancer and demonstrated great courage, determination, and a positive attitude through their trials, and the Hope Award, which given to an individual who has portrayed exemplary characteristics that have enhanced the quality of life for patients and their families through any contribution involving education or patient care. Cynthia is very proud to say that the local nominees have also been the recipients of these awards at the state level and recognized at the Annual Meeting in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

During her 13 year stretch with the American Cancer Society, one of her most defining moments revealed itself in a relationship that developed between herself and an ACS Board Member who was a three time lung cancer survivor named Phyllis Cobb. Sadly, Phyllis passed away a year and half ago but not before she left a very significant mark on Cynthia’s life. Phyllis was a beautiful, strong and dedicated advocate of the American Cancer Society and was nominated for the Courage Award, winning the title in 2008 just 4 months before she passed on. Seeing her proudly accept her award and be recognized for her unmatched courage moved Cynthia beyond words. The amount of respect she had for Phyllis was immeasurable; enough to keep her memory alive and thriving to this day. When Phyllis was leaving the hospital to travel to her daughter’s house where she could pass surrounded by her loved ones, the two women shared a moment. “She looked at me and said, ‘I am proud of you’ and those simple words strengthened my commitment and made me realize I was doing what I was meant to do,” Cynthia recounts. “My commitment remains even more so now after dealing with my husband’s cancer diagnosis this past year.

Cancer can strike anyone, at any time. It doesn’t discriminate based on age, gender, or race.  It is a disease that takes a mental, emotional, and physical blow on everyone it touches which speaks volumes about the three amazing people that have allowed us into their lives and shared their personal stories of strength, courage, and a powerful will to live. Their selfless acts of volunteerism and their drive to spread awareness across the globe is truly a testament to their inspiring character and unfathomable resilience. They are changing the world one step at a time, one person at a time, one life at a time.  They are leaders, leading us for the Cause.
 
American Cancer Society – Sarasota Unit
2801 Fruitville Road, Suite 250
Sarasota, FL 34237
(800) 227.2345
www.cancer.org

Copyright © 2010 REAL Magazine

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