Poland community offers support to two residents with breast cancer

POLAND

When Lisa Sikora sat down at The Cafe at Wittenauer’s, she was prepared to talk about a fundraiser two other local women were doing to help her in her battle with breast cancer.

Before she started talking, however, she apologized, tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s an emotional day for me,” she said.

Sikora, 43, had just learned about another act of kindness from the Poland community: Someone had donated money anonymously to pay for her son’s trip to Washington, D.C.

“It’s just the little things,” she said. “It just shows me that people are out there to do good for you — not expecting anything in return.”

Another good thing people have done for her and Julianna Stefek, who also is fighting breast cancer, is a pepperoni roll sale.

Lisa Weimer and Chrissy Garcia, who know Sikora and Stefek because their sons all play in the Little Bulldogs’ football league together,

organized the whole thing but say they couldn’t have done it without the community support they got.

“There’s a sense of community that people don’t know about Poland,” Weimer said. “These are the most generous people.”

Sikora and Stefek, 39, both were diagnosed with breast cancer in April — Stefek, for the second time. And, they each have two kids.

Stefek said she never knew anyone else with breast cancer, and that it has helped knowing Sikora and being able to trade stories. “When I met Lisa, we started talking. We were going to the same doctors, having the same side effects. We were kind of laughing,” she said. “It’s nice knowing you’re not alone.”

Read more of their stories in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.