Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith, a cancer survivor, shared her personal story with others Thursday during the Lima Memorial Women’s Health Center’s 28th annual observation of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
J Swygart | The Lima News
LIMA — A 15-year cancer survivor on Thursday offered hope and encouragement to others who are either battling the disease or have conquered it.
The woman, diagnosed in her early 20s with Stage II Hodgkin lymphoma, told cancer survivors, family and friends gathered at Lima Memorial Medical Park she had been suffering with a lingering cough and was feeling sluggish for months when she finally — admittedly stubbornly — saw a doctor.
As luck would have it, the physician’s mother had suffered similar symptoms years earlier. He ordered X-rays, and after more tests and follow-ups, the woman was diagnosed with lymphoma.
“I don’t talk about it much, but I am a cancer survivor,” Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith told dozens of fellow survivors who were honored and celebrated Thursday by the Lima Memorial Women’s Health Center during its 28th annual observation of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I underwent chemotherapy, which I don’t think I would have made it through without the help of my oncology nurse, and I’ve been cancer-free since 2009,” said Smith, who urged those going through similar ordeals to seek strength by sharing their stories.
“Early detection saves lives. Don’t be stubborn, like me. Days like today remind us there is hope. Strength and determination inspire us all, so share your stories and give someone else some encouragement,” the mayor said.
Dr. Darlene Weyer, medical director of the Women’s Health Center, said days like Thursday are important as survivors come together and share their journeys.
“One lady has been coming here for about 26 years. It gives her and others a sense of hope … that cancer is beatable,” Weyer said. “When people see others who have defeated cancer, it becomes contagious.
“A lot of times when we give that diagnosis of cancer, we see that uncertainty and fear in the patient’s eyes,” Weyer added. “When they can come to an event like this and see patients who have been diagnosed five to 20 years ago who are doing really well and have survived and have beaten their disease, it gives them additional hope to just keep on fighting.”
David Kah, a devotional volunteer for the health network, said a common question among cancer survivors is, “Why me?”
Kah said God is the “great architect” in whose hands such decisions lie.
“He has an answer for every situation in life. You were saved for a purpose,” Kah said. “God has a plan and a purpose.”
Also taking part in the ceremony was the Perry High School volleyball team, which donated $1,500 from a fundraiser earlier this year to the Women’s Health Center.
Statistics from the National Cancer Institute show an estimated 2 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States during 2024, and 611,700 people will die from the disease.
