50 teams march to fight cancer in Mahoning-Columbiana Relay For Life
Trending
BOARDMAN -- It was traumatic enough for Heidi Behnke to learn that she had colon cancer, but about a month later, she received news that her dog, Remi, also was battling the disease.
"I was diagnosed last September with colon cancer and was in the hospital for about 15 days. In October, our dog was diagnosed with (B cell) lymphoma," Behnke, 55, of Poland, said.
Behnke, who works as an insurance agent, added that her health has improved vastly since her diagnosis nine months ago, in part by a combination of diet and exercise. Nevertheless, Remi, a 10-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi, still has swollen lymph nodes and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Despite their grim diagnoses so close together, both of them were healthy enough to be among those who participated in Saturday's Mahoning-Columbiana Relay For Life at DeBartolo Commons outside of the Southern Park Mall.
Joining them was Behnke's husband, Eric, who recalled being at his wife's side most of the time throughout her battle. He occasionally took time off work to take her to doctor's appointments, pick up medication and supplies and for other related purposes, Eric Behnke recalled.
"She went through some difficult chemotherapy there, but she's pulled through," he said.
For her part, Heidi Behnke's last checkup this spring showed no evidence of any cancer recurrence. Her next appointment is in August, said Behnke, who underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, along with a CT scan and bloodwork.
The Relay for Life's primary purposes are to honor those who have lost their battle with cancer, celebrate survivors and fund research to eliminate the disease, Jennifer Bahm, the American Cancer Society's senior development manager, noted.
A goal of Saturday's Relay for Life was to raise $50,000, Bahm said.
Taking part in the six-hour event were an estimated 20 teams that included Flamingo Mafia, PsyCare Cares, Gaga's Gang and Priscilla's Princes. Among the PsyCare team members was Mary Wargo, who came on behalf of Sarah M. Marino of Niles, who lost her battle May 21 with Stage 4 colorectal cancer. She was 57.
"Sarah was a real blue-collar worker," Wargo, PsyCare's administrative and center director, remembered.
Wargo hired Marino about 18 years ago to work in the agency's billing department for its six clinics in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. Marino was excellent at her job as well as a dedicated, proud and hard worker who was largely self-taught, Wargo fondly recalled.
To honor Marino's love of animals, team members have made a donation to the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County in Vienna, she continued.
Marino contributed greatly to a positive workplace atmosphere, though she was reluctant to visit a doctor. The cancer "hit her fast," Wargo said, adding that Marino's co-workers continue to feel the loss in a variety of ways.
"I wish she got preventive care. She needed a colonoscopy but didn't get one, which could have changed things for her," Wargo said during her opening remarks. "Research is what helps and that's where we need the money."
One of the American Cancer Society's offerings is a hotline that's available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The nonprofit agency also has a Road to Recovery program that provides free transportation to appointments, along with hope lodges that offer free lodging to loved ones of those with cancer, she explained.
Hope lodges are near hospitals that provide cancer treatment, such as the one close to the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital in Cleveland. The lodges are for those who live at least 60 miles from where a loved one is being treated, Bahm said, adding that the one in Cleveland also is available to residents of Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
Saturday's six-hour Relay for Life also featured a car cruise, set up largely to attract more people to the event, which saw dwindling numbers during and soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, Amanda Cox, volunteer director, said.
Also at the gathering was a basket raffle, luminaria in remembrance of those who lost their battle with the disease, various games and activities and a dinner for survivors.
Behnke said that it's important for those who have been newly diagnosed with cancer to refrain from isolating themselves, seek friends' help and remain hopeful.
"Even through the tough times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel," she added.
news@vindy.com