Community buoys Poland women battling breast cancer

By JORDYN GRZELEWSKI

jgrzelewski@vindy.com

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 same doctors, having the same side effects. We were kind of laughing,” she said. “It’s nice knowing you’re not alone.”

It also has helped to have the community behind her, she said.

“Everyone’s been so supportive and nice,” she said. “It’s so nice to know there are people who are willing to help.”

Weimer and Garcia started the pepperoni roll sale Oct. 1, and by the time it ended Oct. 9 they had nearly 2,000 orders, which they filled Wednesday night.

For every pepperoni roll sold they made $1, all of which will go to Sikora and Stefek. They got the rolls through That’s a Wrap & Pizza Cafe’s pepperoni roll fundraiser.

Both Weimer and Garcia have done similar benefits for other local causes, including raising money for other women with breast cancer.

For Garcia, the fight against breast cancer is a personal one.

After losing her mom to breast cancer, she had a double mastectomy as a preventive measure.

“My mom had it twice. I don’t want to say she lost her battle — I have two sisters, and we continue,” she said. “Fighting the fight — you’re a part of something. You can be part of something good, from something bad.”

Garcia stressed one important part of that fight: “The biggest thing is prevention,” she said.

Both Sikora and Stefek said self-examinations were their first step in detecting the cancer.

“You’ve got to check yourself,” Sikora said.