Timothy (right) and Leif Lai

“She received uninterrupted, awful chemo treatments every Friday for years --- still fighting painfully against this dreadful disease so we could see our son grow up together,” Timothy said.  “My wife was one of the bravest and most determined women.”

Now, Leif remains the driving force behind everything Timothy does.  “He is only 13 years old, and he will never ever see his beloved mom again,” said Timothy.  “My son is the reason for me to live on now so he can still continue to get support even though mommy was gone.”

Despite receiving an outpouring of support from family, friends and colleagues, Timothy grappled with how to carry on as a single parent.  He sought out family counseling, worked with a social worker and found comfort from an unexpected source --- at a cancer center almost 500 miles away.

One of Esther’s medical oncologists recommended the UNC Lineberger Single Fathers Due to Cancer Program, which is dedicated to helping the thousands of fathers who each year lose their spouses to cancer and must adjust to being sole parents.  All the way from New York, Timothy was able to find helpful resources through the program’s website (www.singlefathersduetocancer.org) to complement the care he and Leif were receiving at home.

“All of the support really helped my son cope with this horrible disease that took away my wife,” he said.  Timothy was inspired by the Single Fathers Program to make a gift to UNC Lineberger in honor of his school’s principal, who always stood by him throughout his wife’s cancer journey.

Timothy explains, “I share with other victims of cancer patients and feel like I need to do something to make sure other people are aware of how to get support through the program.” 

In making a gift, Timothy was able to gain a little bit of closure and he plans to continue to give back to help others.

“A lot of people may stay away from this terrible disease, but there is no need for patients and their families to suffer like they do,” he said.  “I want to let people know what to expect out of it and share my coping experience of single fatherhood.”

Cassie on left, Vicky on Right

After moving from her hometown of Chapel Hill to Manhattan in 2002, Cassie ran the Susan G. Komen race with friends each fall in honor of their mothers who were battling breast cancer. It wasn’t until 2007 when her own mother, Vicky, was diagnosed with breast cancer that she decided to focus her fundraising efforts on her hometown, at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Both of Cassie’s grandmothers were treated for cancer at UNC Lineberger and after staying by her mother’s side through chemo and radiation treatments, supporting UNC Lineberger was an easy decision. “I think about my mom and the excellent care she received and know I would want that for others,” she said.

To pay it forward, Cassie and Vicky created an event called “Girls’ Night Out”, an evening event held at Vicky’s home in Chapel Hill. Since Cassie is a talented designer and Vicky has a side business designing vintage jewelry, this mother-daughter team decided to use their talents to help others. This year the event included pink champagne, snacks, and raised proceeds through Vicky’s beautiful vintage jewelry creations and Cassie’s unique stationary, desk calendars, pillows, and fabrics. Not your typical fundraiser, this event was designed to feel like a party.

As Cassie noted, “We wanted a night where women could meet and mingle, a celebration of women and friendships.”

Although Cassie now lives in Brooklyn, NY working as a designer, she still feels a strong connection to her hometown of Chapel Hill and comes back nearly every month. Coming up on its fifth year this November, Girls’ Night Out has raised close to $4,000 for breast cancer research at UNC Lineberger.

Cassie explained, “UNC is where I would want to be taken care of. I hope that our donations continue to make the experience better for each and every woman who comes to Lineberger.”

Helping others was a constant theme in the King household. Cyrus and Carolyn met in the summer of 1942 at a YMCA/YWCA conference and together took on a number of causes to make the world a better place—especially for women, minorities, children and people with disabilities.

Cancer was added to the King’s long list of causes in 2005 following Carolyn’s diagnosis. Cyrus was particularly grateful for Carolyn’s surgeon. “We had no idea the surgery was going to be as complicated as it was and her surgeon was wonderful,” Cyrus remembers. “She was just a love.”

Due to the unforeseen complications with surgery, Carolyn had a colostomy and as a result had to deal with an appliance for the rest of her life. “She did it all without complaining—I was so amazed at her ability to do that,” Cyrus said.

When Carolyn’s cancer grew into her colon, she continued to receive treatments from Dr. Wesley Fowler at UNC Lineberger and later Dr. Jeffrey Crane at Rex Cancer Center. Even in the midst of chemo treatments, Carolyn maintained a steadfast commitment to others.

“One of my last conversations with Carolyn involved her being so thankful for all the health care she was getting,” said longtime neighbor and friend Sandy Irving. “She commented it was not ‘fair’ that many others did not receive this kind of care. Her concern was always for the other person. We made a pledge that we would work so that everyone would have the excellent health care she was receiving.”

In 2012, Carolyn was honored posthumously for the NC Women United Anne Mackie Award recognizing a lifetime contribution to advocacy on behalf of women. Cyrus continues to give annually to UNC Lineberger in Carolyn’s memory.

“We have had nothing but good experiences at UNC. I’m happy to give and only wish I could do more.”

Brenda explains, “I never knew I had cancer. We joined the Board after attending a reception at Wayne and Billie Ann Peterson’s home and learning about UNC Lineberger. Cancer has touched all of us, and we wanted to do something to help Lineberger.” Because of her care at UNC and their confidence in UNC Lineberger scientists, the Hiscotts have made a generous gift in the form of a bequest to UNC Lineberger.

Brenda had suffered puzzling symptoms for several years until her Pinehurst physician, Dr. Jeff Kilpatrick, performed a sobriety test involving placing fingers of her right and left hand on her nose. Brenda recalls, “When I couldn’t do it, he ordered an MRI that revealed brain abnormalities and told me I needed to go to Chapel Hill. He added, ‘Didn’t Dr. Ewend speak at your party?’”

Brenda’s other UNC care team members are Drs. Kristy Richards and David Morris. She says, “We are incredibly grateful to Drs. Ewend, Richards and Morris and their teams. They have given me tremendous support through our cancer journey.” Brenda has also been diagnosed with Stage IV follicular lymphoma, an incurable form of cancer.

Brenda and Don remain active in their community. They work with Volunteers in Police Service, where they help to prevent crime by riding on patrols. Both are avid photographers and plan their travels around photo opportunities. Brenda has trained as a caregiver with the Stephens Ministries Program at her church and reports, “The training has come in handy for us, and some of my fellow trainees have helped to take care of me. Don is a wonderful caregiver. He’s my constant emotional support.”

Don says, “We decided to make a planned gift to UNC Lineberger because we have every confidence that the talented team of scientists and physicians there will achieve great things in research and discoveries. Of course we are incredibly grateful for the superb and compassionate care Brenda has and continues to receive, but foremost, we want to find cures for cancers and we believe strongly that the team at Lineberger will get the job done.”

The Hiscotts were recently featured in The Pilot. Read more about their story here.

“I had a clinical job in Burnett-Womack to help me pay tuition, but I wanted more direct patient interaction.” Herodes began volunteering at the Patient and Family Resource Center in the N.C. Cancer Hospital. “It was a really good experience,” he says.

He then volunteered for the next three years in the N.C. Children’s Hospital Pediatric Playroom and with Carolina PALS (Pediatric Attention Love and Support). He served as a hospital school tutor for his “pal” and for other pediatric patients. “The children are amazing.”

When it came time for his medical school interview, he says, “I had learned a lot and knew the hospital really well. The interview wasn’t difficult because everything I talked about was from what I had done in the hospital just the day before.”

The aspiring physician has spoken with many patients through his volunteer experience. Herodes faces his own medical challenge. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just before coming to UNC. “I go into the hospital, specifically working with children, and even if I’m having a bad day, am exhausted form studying or having a problem with my diabetes, I see the patients who go through so much but still have smiles on their faces. It is really humbling. They give me perspective. If those little kids can do it, so can I.”

Herodes wanted to support these young heroes with his senior gift. “I have seen firsthand that they have and need a lot of support to live a ‘normal’ life while being treated for their cancer. I was impressed by all the resources—the games, computers, attention of the staff—and I know that donations made them possible. That’s why I chose to make my gift there.”

“My friend lost her battle with cancer. Then after that I had two more friends diagnosed. I wanted to honor my friends, so I continue to contribute. To me it’s a disease that needs some answers and cures and that’s why we continue to make gifts to UNC Lineberger.”

Donna, a retired educator, and her husband, Thomas “Mac” McLeon, give only to NC charities, including UNC Lineberger. “We think it’s better to help people in North Carolina. We read about how some national charities operate, and we want to keep our donations right here in our state.”

Donna says, “I love UNC’s hospitals. My parents were both patients there on several occasions and we always had good experiences there.”

She explains, “I keep hearing about so much cancer and I would just really love to see a cure for this horrible disease. Any money I can put towards the research that might come up with a cure would be worth it to me.”

The Melanoma Research Foundation, the UNC Division of Surgical Oncology and the UNC Department of Dermatology sponsored a Melanoma Patient Day on February 6, 2013. The educational conference, held at The Friday Center, is dedicated to melanoma patients and the people who support them and featured presentations from several UNC Lineberger faculty members and experts from around the world.

In addition to the conference sponsors, Melanoma Patient Day also receives generous support from Mrs. Anne Sessoms of Chapel Hill and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hudgens from Raleigh.

Diana Hudgens explains, “Tom and I support this conference because we’re grateful to the wonderful doctors at UNC who have given Tom such excellent care. One of this year’s lectures has been named in memory of Tom’s lifelong friend, Ned Austell. Ned and Tom were diagnosed with their first melanomas—and their second—at almost the same times. Ned did not survive his second bout. Tom did. We think UNC Lineberger made the difference. We are happy to support this well organized and very informative conference. We are confident that people are helped by it.”

Cy Aman ’34, accompanied by his daughter, Jane Liepis, met men’s basketball coach Roy Williams ’72 before Carolina’s home game against Florida Atlantic University.

 For most of us, milestone birthdays are marked with a zero—10, 20, 30, 40, etc. But for UNC Class of 1934 alumnus Cyrus “Cy” W. Aman, his latest milestone required two!

Aman celebrated his 100^th birthday on Dec. 2, 2012, and he is still checking things off his bucket list:

• Attend basketball game in the Dean E. Smith Center
  Check. On Nov. 11, 2012, during Homecoming weekend, Aman got to see UNC defeat Florida Atlantic.

• Meet Hall of Fame Coach Roy Williams ’72
  Check. Prior to the UNC vs. Florida Atlantic basketball game, Williams surprised Aman with birthday wishes to go along with his fourth-row seats.

• Tour the Tar Heel Basketball museum
  Check.

• Shake hands with UNC basketball great Lenny Rosenbluth ’57 and meet the retired voice of the Tar Heels Woody Durham
  Double Check.

But as amazing as it was for him to return to UNC after nearly 30 years (he was last on campus for his 50^th class reunion), Aman said the best thing about coming back was giving back.

Aman made a $100,000 gift to the University to celebrate his 100^th birthday and also to mark the 100^th anniversary of the General Alumni Association. Divided between Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Chancellor’s Unrestricted Fund and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Aman’s gift is intended to keep the doors open to the future for the next generation.

Aman reminisces in the Carolina Basketball Museum prior to the UNC vs. Florida Atlantic University basketball game during Homecoming on Nov. 11, 2012.

“UNC opened doors for me to most anywhere I wanted to go,” said Aman, who graduated with a degree in accounting and retired from a career with Mason and Dixon Lines freight service. “I had been wanting to make this gift for a number of years, and I’m just glad I could do it in such a memorable way for me, my family and the University.”

While he was in Chapel Hill, Aman also visited the historic Davie Poplar, the Old Well, Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Charles Kuralt Learning Center (he said he is distantly related to late broadcast journalist and fellow alumnus Charles Kuralt ’55).

Aman said the visit also brought back vivid memories of washing dishes and waiting tables in Swain Hall when it was the campus dining hall. “When I approached my dad about going to college here, it was during the Great Depression. I recognized the challenges and I knew I was going to be pretty much on my own,” Aman said. “But my dad sent me on my way and told me: ‘OK, then, good luck to you.’ I came to Carolina and got a job in Swain to pay my tuition, and it was well worth the effort.”

A native of Onslow County in North Carolina, Aman resides in Richmond, Va. His daughter, Jane Liepis, also of Richmond, brought him down to North Carolina to visit his 95-year-old “kid” brother, Wilbur, who lives in High Point, N.C., and to visit his alma mater. Of the seven Aman children, three are still living: Cy of course, baby brother Wilbur and older sister Pauline, who turns 102 in February!

Aman said the secret to his family’s longevity is trying every day to stay sharp and stay active both physically and mentally. He played golf until he was 97, and remains involved with his community. Currently he is serving as the president of the Imperial Plaza Foundation, the service organization in his retirement community.

“It’s true what they say about time moving faster as we get older. We’ve just been fortunate to stay out ahead of it, and I intend to continue doing that as long as possible!”

Vincent’s prognosis was thankfully excellent following surgery.  The recovery was lengthy and challenging for a young child, but Vincent was a trooper and did remarkably well.  Also the parents of a one-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter, the Valentinos felt incredibly fortunate to come through their ordeal with such positive results.  "We are so grateful to Dr. Gold, UNC Lineberger and our friends Ken and Cheryl," says Lauren. "We would like to find ways to give back, perhaps help families less fortunate.”

Prior to Vincent’s recent check-up at the cancer hospital, the Valentino family asked if they could “adopt” a needy family to fulfill their wishes for Christmas.  Dr. Gold matched them with a family whose five-year-old son is in cancer treatment and whose financial hardship was going to make it difficult for them to buy gifts for their children.  The Valentinos were pleased to oblige and brought armfuls of wrapped clothes and gifts to the hospital for the entire family. 

The idea for the gift began after Leslie Schreiner, Office Manager in the UNC Lineberger Protocol Office, talked with a relative at a family event. Christina, her relative who works at KIOTI’s national headquarters in Wendell, told Leslie that KIOTI was interested in raising funds for breast cancer and asked if she knew of a group that would benefit from what was raised. Leslie said, “Yes I do. The place that I now work.”  They spoke further, and after her relative talked with the leadership team at KIOTI, the company decided to support UNC Lineberger’s breast cancer research. 

Leslie recalls when she received the email from her relative about the amount raised. “I was overwhelmed.  I grabbed a few people to show them the email to make sure I was seeing correctly and then immediately called and emailed to say thank you. It’s wonderful that KIOTI is so committed to giving back to the community.”

KIOTI Tractor CEO, Peter Dong-Kyun Kim, says, “Selecting a charity to donate the proceeds to was a challenging decision since there are many honorable organizations in our area. We feel strongly that UNC Lineberger will put these proceeds to great use by continuing to offer North Carolina breast cancer patients and their families the best treatment and support available.”

A second tractor was auctioned off at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky this past February.

Mary, Ted’s daughter-in-law and former UNC Lineberger Special Events Coordinator, provided family and friends with regular updates on Ted’s treatment regime through an online blog, weaving in humor with the more serious concerns of a family coping with a cancer diagnosis. 

Even Ted’s grandchildren got involved by selling bracelets for Ted’s supporters to wear.  Together, their efforts raised more than $63,000 for pancreatic cancer research at UNC Lineberger.

Ted’s dear friend and coach of the UNC men’s basketball team,Roy Williams, asked Ted to speak at his annual Fast Break Against Cancer breakfast at the Dean E. Smith Center on October 12.  That morning, more than 400 people listened to Ted speak about his diagnosis, treatment and the critical need for cancer research.

Immediately following Fast Break, the entire family went to the Chapel Hill Country Club, to cheer on more than 100 supporters as they played golf in honor of their friend, Ted.

Tricia Prestia (ctr) presents check to Elizabeth Sherwood (left) and Dr. Don Rosenstein (rt) director of the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program.

An avid tennis player, she and another woman on her tennis team were diagnosed with leukemia.  The team organized a tennis event at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary called “Lickin’ Leukemia” and raised $7,000 for the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program.

The funds will be used to help leukemia patients and their families participate in activities such as going for a pizza or bowling or attending a ball game as a way for the family to enhance their bonds.

Elizabeth Sherwood, RN, MS, ANP-C, Coordinator for UNC Survivorship Programs, said, “How wonderful that Tricia wants to support patients and their families during this stressful time. We appreciate that the diagnosis of leukemia impacts the entire family so to be able to help families share activities and social time together is wonderful.”  Ms. Sherwood is also Coordinator for Oncology Integrative Medicine Programs with the CCSP.

After retiring, they moved from Raleigh to Chapel Hill. Their daughter is a UNC alumna and a nurse at UNC Hospitals.

John’s family has been touched by cancer as has he. The Pattersons are annual donors to UNC Lineberger because, John says, "We’re impressed with the research that is done there and the treatment provided to patients and families.”

Four members of John’s family have been affected by cancer, and he himself is a cancer survivor.

Hilda explains, “We are happy to help out UNC Lineberger. It’s now our sole cancer donation because the cancer treatment and research there is at the top of the list.”

John adds, “Cancer affects those undergoing treatment as well as family and friends. If you are considering a gift that will help the most people, then this is the gift to make.”

“Although I could have worked with any number of cancer-related charitable organizations, Lineberger just felt right. It is close to Charlotte, and it has ties to the school my wife, Jennifer, and I graduated from and love.”

“Jennifer also knew about UNC Lineberger from her undergraduate days when she chose to perform her sorority service hours at UNC Lineberger, working with a cancer awareness program. Jennifer was required by her sorority to perform service hours and she says her “heart was just drawn to volunteering at Lineberger”. “Jennifer had a very positive experience there.” Patrick notes, “Little did either of us know that her stepfather, Mel Jordan, would be treated there for lung cancer a few years later before his death in 1999.”

“My mother-in-law talked about how the staff was so compassionate with the way they handled his cancer battle. The staff made the treatments personal, and he didn’t feel like a number or ‘just another patient’.”

Patrick raised over $2600 online through UNC Lineberger’s peer-to-peer fundraising application and says, “It was very reassuring to know that every penny was going directly to UNC Lineberger to support the mission of research and patient care.”

“After losing my dad, Jennifer’s stepfather and grandmother to lung cancer, I was determined to make my Ironman experience more meaningful by using my race to honor them and raise funds for UNC Lineberger.”

Patrick finished his Ironman day in 10 hours and 55 minutes, which placed him 216th out of 2,797 participants. “It was a long, exhausting day but ended with a great feeling of accomplishment. Hearing ‘You are an Ironman’ when I crossed the finish line was just incredible” says Patrick of his experience. Even better than the physical accomplishment, Patrick is most of proud of the difference his generous donors made to UNC Lineberger. “Even if just one patient’s quality of life is improved, every mile raced and every minute spent training will be well worth it. I’m proud to have been part of such a great event and to have helped such a great organization as Lineberger” saya Patrick.

For information on how you can support UNC Lineberger through peer-to-peer fundraising — for any event — please call Jennifer Bowman at 919-966-5905 or email jennifer_bowman@med.unc.edu.

Alana took on the Senior Class Challenge to donate to UNC. “I liked that you could donate where you wanted to and that the gift would be matched, so I gave to UNC Lineberger’s prostate and kidney cancer research. My hope is that this small donation will touch another life and allow a daughter to spend just a little more time with her dad.”

Alana’s father, Robey Alan Wilson, was the minister at Denton’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Morganton for 16 years. “My dad had just earned his master’s degree in 2006. He loved learning, and he loved helping people. I was almost 17 when he was diagnosed. He had surgery, and we thought the cancer was gone, but it came back in the bones and was more aggressive. His death impacted my life as a college student because I’m more conscious of life and why it needs to be well-lived. I’m also more aware of the importance of family and friends and of telling people ‘I love you.’ There are things in your life that make you mature, and my dad’s death was a catalyst for that. It has made me more aware of illness and of the importance of cancer screening. ”

Alana graduated with a major in history and a minor in Hispanic studies. Her mother, Lonna Carpenter Wilson, three grandparents and other relatives attended her May 13 graduation.

She will start graduate school at UNC-Charlotte this fall. “I hope to get a job in a nonprofit or government organization where I can help the Latino population. I think it’s a good cause and will give me a chance to do something that impacts society.”