Cancer survivors celebrate hope

Hundreds of monarch butterflies were released to symbolize survivors' lives.
By KATIE LIBECCO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WARREN -- Musical performers sent messages of hope and courage to hundreds of cancer survivors, patients and families at a cancer survivorship celebration Sunday afternoon at W.D. Packard Music Hall.
"Both of our performances today show two things -- God-given talent and compassion," said Anna Marie Holt, an oncology nurse with Forum Health. She was referring to the Raising our Commitment to Cancer Kids Children's Choir and singer Cheryl Warfield.
"They are inspirational to survivors," she said.
More than 400 people attended the 16th Annual Cancer Survivorship Day sponsored by Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital's Cancer CareCenters and the Trumbull Memorial Hospital Foundation.
"This is the day we recognize those diagnosed with cancer," Holt said. "From the day you are diagnosed, you are a survivor."
About 700 communities across the United States and in Canada celebrated Survivorship Day.
The ROCcK Children's Choir was created in 2002 by six-year cancer survivor Brenda Rider along with Paul Skowron and Janeen Williams.
"When I started going through treatment, I picked up my guitar and started writing songs," said Rider, of Austintown.
"The choir came about because I think songs sound better with kids performing," she said.
Family affair
Ages of children in the choir -- all from the Mahoning Valley area -- range from 4 to 17 including sick children as well as their siblings and friends.
"This is cool because when kids are going through treatment, sometimes the well children are left out, left at home while sick children are getting treatment," Rider said.
"With ROCcK, we want all kids: sick kids, better kids, sisters and brothers. These children get a great amount of joy out of helping."
One family involved with ROCcK is the Cardenas family from New Castle, Pa. Brother John, 6, and sisters Christina, 4, and Viviana, 8, have sung with the ROCcK Children's Choir for about a year.
Older sister Bonney, 17, is an instructor for the choir. They heard about the group through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which directed them to Rider.
Viviana finished chemotherapy treatments for Ewing's sarcoma cancer one year ago.
Literary element
Rider also created A Way with Words Inc., a literary nonprofit organization that provides support to cancer survivors through projects, including the "There's Hope in What We Do" poetry publication, released in May.
Cheryl Warfield, Warren native and New York Metropolitan Opera singer, performed two songs, "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "He's Got the World in his Hands."
Warfield also read poetry from "There's Hope in What We Do." One of the selections she read was written by Kaitlyn Dietz, a 10-year-old ROCcK singer; Rider wrote the other.
A Way With Words has already ordered a reprinting of "There's Hope in What We Do," and the next edition, which Rider said will be on sale at Barnes and Noble and Borders by Christmas.
"All of the proceeds from the books go back to local charities, like Silver Lining at the hospital, which takes care of nonmedical needs of cancer patients," Rider said.
The event culminated with the release of hundreds of Painted Lady Monarch butterflies, which Holt said symbolized lives of cancer survivors.
Oncology project
Arlee Session, corporate clinical executive for Forum Health Cancer Services, said that the project to move Forum Health Trumbull Memorial's oncology and specialty services across East Market Street to the Social Security building is ahead of schedule.
"It will be new housing for the oncology center and programs. It will serve patients and the community with education programs," Session said.
The project includes the building of a bridged walkway from the hospital to the new building. Session said the building is scheduled to open in March 2006.