Seditias discover a kindness in cancer

By Elise Franco

efranco@vindy.com

The kindness of strangers has helped keep a Boardman couple battling cancer afloat.

Carl and Lucy Seidita, both 54, were chosen as the honorees of the seventh annual Sunshine Benefit Golf Outing, which is sponsored by Ball Busters Sports Bar in Austintown.

The Seiditas were diagnosed with cancer within six months of each other — Lucy with oral cancer in July 2011 and Carl with pancreatic cancer in December 2011. Earlier this year, when Ball Busters owner Jim Krokoski heard about their situation, he jumped at the chance to help.

“Our intent is to raise as much money as possible,” Krokoski said. “When we met them, it was kind of emotional. They were overwhelmed that strangers would do this for them.”

The golf outing is a three-person scramble July 21 at Lakeside Golf Course. Tickets are $75 per person or $225 for a group of three, and Krokoski said the amount of money raised each year has varied from $5,000 to $12,000.

He said he knows the family will appreciate any amount.

“I always thought it was important to give back,” he said. “My mother died of cancer at 50 years old, and there were people who helped my family out when we needed it.”

Carl said that though he is still able to do some work from home as a computer programmer, Lucy has been unable to work since her diagnosis. They’re both on disability.

“It puts a lot of financial strain on our family,” Carl said. “We’re just trying to hang in there.”

Lucy, who is in remission, recently underwent a surgery to help her regain the ability to open her mouth so she can begin speech therapy.

Lucy said she and her husband are grateful to be on the receiving end of such generosity.

“I couldn’t even believe it,” she said. “It really touched my heart and made me feel a lot better. It’s comforting that they’re doing this for us.”

The pair, married 22 years, said the hardest part was that both illnesses came out of nowhere.

“It’s been quite a roller-coaster ride,” Carl said. “She came up with pain in her mouth last May, and the next thing we know it she’s having surgery.”

Carl, who is undergoing chemotherapy to shrink his tumor, said his cancer surfaced as his wife began her long recovery.

“It was completely out of the blue,” he said. “It’s all been very overwhelming with them being back to back.”

Carl said the hope is that chemo will shrink the tumor enough to allow his doctor to remove it.

Despite their unlikely misfortune, the Seiditas stay in good spirits, something they said is helped by the kindness of others, their faith in God and their family.

“We’ve had a lot of good people around us, people like Jim [Krokoski,]” Carl said. “It will show you the good in mankind.”

Lucy said their children, Kimberly, 17 and Carl, 15, have especially helped them keep a positive outlook.

“I have the attitude that today is today, and I accept that whatever is going to happen will happen,” she said.

Carl said that their overlapping diagnosis have brought them closer together as a couple and as a family.

“Lucy has been my tower of strength,” he said. “Keeping it together, for me, is a matter of staying close.”