[Music]
Anne Meisner: I have to tell you the view from up here is spectacular. I see a sea of yellow and there is no better way to start my day than this time every year when we celebrate those of you who have returned home; to celebrate your five-year journey with us, and we are very happy to welcome you into our arms again and to bring you on home and this is a day about celebration.
Let’s take a moment and applaud all of our celebrants, their families…
[Applaud]
We have 109 people that we are recognizing today – 55 of you are here today and together, all of you represent 545 years.
Walking on sunshine – what a perfect idea for a program like this! I recently read some words that were written by actually one of our celebrants here today and I thought that they would be just the absolute best way to get you guys kick off.
What she wrote was – “I saw a faint light glimmer as I walked the path of healing. As I continued down the path, the light became brighter and my life was soon shining with hope. To each and every one of you – you are our hope; you are inspiration! Each one of you represents the rays of the sun and collectively, you are a great sunburst to all those who work here, to your families, to those people who are treating here today, to those people who will come to us tomorrow, you are inspiration, and it is our sincere hope that your lives continue to be full and rich and filled with light and hope. You are not survivors; you are thrivers and mighty warriors, and we are here to honor you today!”
Rev. Percy McCray, Jr.: Well, good morning!
Crowd: Good morning.
Rev. Percy McCray, Jr.: I want all of the survivors to stand on your feet – quickly, let’s stand to your feet and I want you to repeat after me and say, “It’s five and I am still alive!”
Crowd: It’s five and I am still alive!
Rev. Percy McCray, Jr.: The good news is the bad news was wrong. This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Crowd: The good news is the bad news was wrong. This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Rev. Percy McCray, Jr.: Go ahead and give yourself a hand clap for big alive after five – Hallelujah!
[Applaud]
Linda Fairchild: I have been dreaming of this day for over five years. I didn’t know how I was going to do it but I knew it was going to happen. When CTCA agreed to treat my cancer I told Dr. Sanchez that I would plant my tree. My friend Susan, my friend since first grade, saw how sick I was. When Sue researched and got information from CTCA she ultimately wanted to preserve my life but she had her own personal reasons as well. She didn’t want to lose her oldest and dearest friend.
When I came to CTCA I weighed 89 pounds. I had fourth stage colon cancer and it had spread to my liver. I was cancer-free within four months.
Battling colon cancer taught me what’s important in life. My family has encouraged me, loved me and cared for me when I was sick. My mother taught me how to be strong and how to rely on my faith. I am also grateful to my many friends – some who are here today – I guess we call them the passé now. They stepped in and took care of my needs and made it possible for me to stay in my apartment.
I am a cancer fighter now in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Susan and I are the chapter leaders. I feel I need to give back and help the people who are struggling like I was. It’s been an amazing journey. I feel my calling is to reach out and give back to the others in need. It’s not a choice but it’s a duty, and I need to fulfill.
You pray to God. You hold on to hope, and you have to believe. Don’t dwell on the past; live in the presence. Celebrate life today and always. I am now walking on sunshine.
[Applaud]
Rob Robinson: This is beautiful. Let me tell you this is a beautiful crowd that I see here today, it’s just amazing. Back in May of 2002 after I was diagnosed and misdiagnosed I found my way to CTCA and learning what true caring means in the medical field. I spend every day with my family and friends and I am truly blessed because of that to everyone I know and anyone that’s touched by this disease, to prove that just because we have cancer does not mean that our days of greatness are over – far from it.
Five years ago I could hardly walk around my circled driveway after my surgery that they finally found what was in my chest, and on this past April 28th in Nashville, Tennessee I completed half of what I was attempting to do, which was walk to the Country Music Marathon.
I want to end here really quickly with a poem that’s sustained me over the last few years. It’s a very short, two-verse poem; it’s called ‘Free Hope’:
No one cries when cancer dies
Sad tears fall never more
Condition, remission
Submission to testing
One day, I’ll close that door!
No more fear when cancer’s clear
My days would be forever more
No more loss; now I am the boss
Once again,
This eagle will soar!
Thank you!
[Applaud]
Joanne Benton: Hey, what a day! It’s exciting to be here. My doctor said to me, “I don’t know what else to do for you. I can only give you chemo. I wish you had brought your family with you to this visit.” Well, I was devastated to say the least, and I thought ‘I am going to let them see me cry and I am going to hold it till I get to the car’.
So I got to the car and I let it go. I called my husband and then my daughter at work and she said, “Mom, I am getting off work right now to go to your house and meet you.” So by the time I got home from the doctor’s office she had contacted this hospital – just that fast, and they wanted me to call them right back and I was up there the next week. It was amazing.
I said, “Well, you know what, I just got a…” this is very foolish but I said, “I just got a $10,000.00 credit card in the mail and I think we ought to fly to the Bahamas and blow it. I am dying any way and I don’t care.” So we did and it was fun.
So then I got up here to the hospital and met with Dr. Williams and she told me that you are very treatable. I never forgot those words. For the first time since that happened I truly had hope. I said, ‘Oh my gosh! I am going to live. I am going to live!’ And then I got home and the credit card bill came. And I said, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m gonna live!’
But I finally got it paid off and I did live, and I am here celebrating five years with the hospital. I know that God and this hospital have kept me alive. I believe he sent me here, I know he sent me here – without a shadow of a doubt, because I know I would not be here had I not come to this hospital. I know that.
I thank God for this hospital and the way they treat everyone. I am in a southern gospel quartet and when I do concerts I give my testimony and I speak about this hospital in my testimony, and I give out brochures from the hospital at those concerts. So many people want to know about this hospital and I love to tell them.
So thank you CTCA and Dr. Williams – my angel, and every single person who works here, including the limo drivers – I love you all!
Annette Turner: Today I wanted to explain to you and share with you why I walk on sunshine, because I decided nothing that’s cancer will scare me to death – live survivors live! I became a five-year breast cancer survivor the day I decided to fight back.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this journey has been a great one. I say this out of a sincere heart. I wouldn’t trade my journey in. I am telling you the truth – I would not trade my journey in, to do that I will lose too many treasures. Believe me – one day cancer will be so far away from you that you would need a telescope to see it. I say to you, live for that day.
Today, eating right, reacquainting myself with stress, exercising, getting re-evaluated – has become a lifestyle for me, not a chore. My prayer for some of you who has the mindset that are been preoccupied with death – change it. Become preoccupied with life.
And for those of us, who are preoccupied with life, let’s stand in the gap for those who have not yet been arrived here. Let me end with this – I thank God for the facility that has given me hope and expectations. I thank God for doctors who care enough to take the time to explain to me my results and to know me by name and not by a disease. I thank God for the nurses and their assistance, the limousine drivers, the housekeepers, the cafeteria workers, the admin team, the receptionist, the lab workers and the volunteer workers.
Well ultimately, I thank God for a man through his mother’s death that gave life to thousands of us.
Mr. Stephenson, I thank God that you had a vision and most importantly, in spite of adversity, I thank God for you carrying it up. You gave me a place where I felt safe to fight; safe to be me. Because of your aggression; your stamina and your ability to carry out that vision I had the strength and the power to walk on sunshine.
Linda Armstrong Kelly: Congratulations five-year celebrants! You are walking on sunshine and it is beautiful to see all this yellow up here. I didn’t know about the yellow but I am so glad we coordinate.
It’s about 1996 and the phone rings and this was a phone call I never expected ever in my life to get. It was Lance’s neighbor. He says, “Linda, I know no easy way to tell you this but Lance has been diagnosed with cancer”, and I remember there’s something wrong. I mean he is joking. This can’t be true. I said, “Brett, you’ve got to repeat that, what did you say?” He said, “Lance has been just diagnosed with cancer. You need to get down here.”
The next morning we go home and get a call from the doctor that weekend telling us that Lance has stage four testicular cancer. Before he started his chemotherapy I, as a Project Manager, had to keep that strong face – that caregiver that many of you are here, the positive, strong face.
So when he walked into that oncology unit he was ready to get well. His attitude was getting well. He calls me to his bed and he says, “Mom, I love you”, and I said, “I love you too”, and he says, “Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for giving me life. We are going to get through this”, and I said, “Son, you are right. We are going to get through this”.
This year October 2nd, he will be celebrating 11 years.