The Power of Support During Cancer
The first time Kay Gilfert was diagnosed with colon cancer it was a shock. With the exception of an occasional head-ache, Kay had gone through most of her life without any major health issues. When she began experiencing pains in her abdomen and losing weight, her friends and family urged her to see her doctor.
Since her initial colon cancer diagnosis, Kay Gilfert has gone through two surgeries as well as two lengthy sessions of chemotherapy treatments. Throughout her journey with cancer, Kay has found strength from her faith, from the support of her family and friends and even from some unexpected sources.
Going through her second diagnosis with colon cancer survivor Kay recalls a wonderful show of support that came to her quite unexpectedly at her work one day. Standing at the cash register at the cafeteria at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, Kay was getting ready to take her lunch break, when she looked up and saw a long line of students and staff coming towards her.
“And as they came through the line, they all gave me a hug. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I began to cry, ” she recalls. Everyone wore a t-shirt that read “Comfort for Kay” on the front and “We Wear Blue for You”, as blue is the color for colon cancer awareness. She found out that the students had designated that day, May 7th, as “Kay’s Day”.
“After all of them had gone through and given me a hug, they presented me with a bouquet of flowers and presented a check to my husband and me for $1,167 from the sale of the T-shirts,” she recalls.
When you are going through cancer, the power of support from your family and friends can work wonders. But, as Kay found out, the power of support is especially remarkable when it comes to you from unexpected acts of kindness.
Learn more about colon cancer, visit our Colon Cancer Awareness page.