Cancer survivors will come together at the end of this month to celebrate and reflect on their journeys.
The first-ever reception in honor of Cancer Survivor Month will be held Thursday, June 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. Some 75 to 100 survivors are expected to attend.
“The day you are diagnosed with cancer is the day you become a survivor,” said Renee Schick, organizer of the event and manager of Renee’s Survivor Shop in the Dana Cancer Center. “Once you survive cancer, you are changed. You are survivors of something that is very difficult. You are not alone.”
Schick said doctors and nurses from The University of Toledo Medical Center also are invited.
“When you are getting treatment, it becomes something you do every day,” she said. “It dominates your life. You develop special relationships with your caregivers. The reception will be a great chance for survivors to reunite with their caregivers and talk with other survivors.”
Schick said some of those who attend might be disease-free, but they could be suffering from the after-effects of cancer like lymphedema.
“We want to celebrate everyone who attends,” she said. “There will be cookies and lemonade as well as crafts, giveaways and entertainment. Family and friends are invited, too, because they accompanied the survivor on the journey.”
Schick expects this reception to become an annual event.
“It is something that we hope cancer survivors look forward to attending year after year,” she said.
