Copelink Blog

The following blog post was written by Stefanie Dinneen, a dedicated supporter of CancerCare, and was republished here with her permission. Thank you Stefanie for your commitment to our organization, and for allowing us to share your beautiful memories of Karen.

Five years ago I woke up to a text from my friend telling me that her mom had passed away. I remember that day so vividly, my brother and I had gone to visit at Hospice the day before to say our goodbyes but I was still hoping for a miracle. Just three months before, I got engaged and when I went to see Karen to share the news we chatted about my wedding that was two years away. She told me she was looking forward to celebrating and would help me with any planning I needed help with. Karen never lost hope, she always spoke in future tense, and whenever I would visit she always had a smile on her face no matter how sick she was.

Karen was a lifetime neighbor to my grandmother, my mom’s childhood friend, and the mother of my very first friend. Growing up, Karen always had a house full of games for us, if none of them seemed interesting at the time she would offer to take us to a movie or watch as we hosted an in house talent show (our most notable performances were Hanson and Alanis Morissette). Now she was gone, but her memory and love of life was not.

Every year since Karen passed away I have participated in the CancerCare Walk/Run for Hope in her memory with my brother, her family, some friends, and our pets. We are Team I Hope You Dance and we walk, run, and dance our way across the finish line carrying balloons and celebrating Karen’s life. Each year it is something that we look forward to because it is an event that Karen participated in herself for an organization that Karen loved.

CancerCare is an organization unlike any other I have known; they provide so many free support services to anyone affected by cancer. They offer free wig clinics, co-pay assistance, therapy, events for recipients and their families to meet with other families who are also facing cancer, and most importantly the offer a community of people who want to help and support you during a difficult time.

I have had the privilege of being not only a team captain but also being part of the committee for this event and I have never met more wonderful and dedicated people. The CancerCare staff, the volunteers, the people at the event, everyone is so kind and we all have one thing in common: our love for this organization.

Please help me raise funds for CancerCare's 10th Annual Fairfield Walk/Run for Hope, because without continued support from our amazing donors this organization wouldn’t be able to provide all of the free support services to people and families who truly need them.