Sign of Spring, Sign of Hope
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HHSA's Jill Monroe (left) receives her Daffodil Days delivery from COB's Elizabeth Russell.
Vases of bright, yellow daffodils dot the desks of County employees and brighten the bedside tables of local cancer patients. Why daffodils? The flowers are part of Daffodil Days, one the oldest fundraisers for the American Cancer Society. Bunches of the beautiful blooms were delivered the first day of spring, Tuesday.
Employees paid $10 or more to buy the flowers during the three-month campaign which started in January. They bought the blooms for themselves, others in the office, families or donated towards Gifts of Hope. The fund helps cancer research, educational programs, services for cancer patients and their families, and yes, donates flowers anonymously to cancer patients here in our region.
The lead coordinator for the County event, Land use/Environmental Planner Stephanie Gaines, says she was a caregiver for her mother until she passed away from lung cancer in 2006. The next year, she walked into an American Cancer Society office, told them her family history and said she’d like to volunteer. They asked if she’d heard of Daffodil Days, she said no, but throw it at me. Now, “I make it my mission to have a Daffodil Days campaign at the County every year,” said Gaines, “It’s fun, people enjoy it, you receive something for the donation you make.”
In the past, County employees have given as much as $24,000 for the Daffodil Days campaign. In recent years, the economy has taken its toll but this year saw an uptick over last year. Employees raised more than $12,000 – about $3,000 more than last year's total. Every little bit helps.
“You are diagnosed with cancer one day, you get up at 3 a.m. because you’re beside yourself, you don’t know what it means,” said Gaines. “You can call the Cancer Society and you can talk to them for as long as you need.” The Cancer Society’s hotline is manned by trained volunteers 24/7 and that is just one of the free programs it runs. Another involves free rides to and from treatments.
When you think about it, almost everyone is touched by cancer in some way. It is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. That is nearly 1 of every 4 deaths.
One of Stephanie’s co-workers, another Land Use Environmental Planner, shared her story. Marsha Cook was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2002. At one point, the disease collapsed her right lung. That same week, a routine mammogram brought another diagnosis, breast cancer.
Years later, Cook is matter of fact about it. “I survived the collapsed lung and the lumpectomy took care of the breast cancer,” said Cook. “And it turned out my brother was the perfect match for me as far as a blood stem cell transplant.”
That was her only chance for a cure with the type of lymphoma she had. In 2006, she underwent the transplant and last year she marked her fifth year anniversary of being cancer-free. “That’s a wonderful milestone for a cancer survivor,” said Cook. “After five years, there is a higher survival rate.”
When Cook returned to work, her friend Stephanie asked if she’d be interested in the Daffodil Days campaign. She’s now a co-coordinator. She feels a certain affinity with others who are now undergoing cancer treatments.
“I know what it feels like,” said Cook. “I know it’s very helpful to have a wig or a hat on your head when you’ve lost all your hair from chemo.”
They both have delivered daffodils to patients. They say the patients are so grateful. If they can lift a patient’s spirits for just a little while, the two women say it’s worth it.
“The Cancer Society and their programs give people the support they need,” said Cook. “It gives some of us a way to give back in appreciation for what we’ve received.”