OUR STORIES "No Wooden Nickels was there to help during one of my darkest hours...for that I am truly grateful." Teresa Larrison I just had to write to tell you and others how much I appreciate what you do at No Wooden Nickels. You see my darkest hours were when I was told, "honey, you have cancer." I felt my heart stop. I was at the doctor's office alone, because my husband was at home sick. Questions were bursting in my head. How bad is this? Where else is the cancer?! They must be joking-I'm in the best shape I've ever been. Will I see my grandchildren graduate from school? Marry or have children of their own? What about my husband? What about my job? Oh God, oh God!! What's going to happen to me? We'll on December 10th, 2008, I underwent a radical modified breast mastectomy along with the removal of 17 lymph nodes. Today, I am cancer free. I am truly blessed that my God, my family and so many friends lifted my spirits and prayed for me. It wasn't long before the bills started coming in and my hair started coming out. I lost my job and I wondered what would happen to us now? I never dreamed a shot of this or an X-ray of that could be so expensive. The burdens of our bills were killing us, never mind cancer! But all I had to do is look in the mirror to be reminded that all would be well. Several days later a medical supplies organization told me about NWN. No Wooden Nickels has helped me with my doctor's bills and for that I am truly thankful. Cancer is so real and can affect anyone of us. You never realize how difficult it can be to afford life's basic necessities along with medical expenses until you have to start paying for it all at once. I'll be telling more and more folks there is a lot of information on the internet, books to read, people to talk to and yes, even financial help. In the last six months I've been called upon to participate in my first cancer walk where I was made an honorary captain to raise awareness and funds which are so desperately needed. I've also joined a local cancer awareness program called HopeLight. Current fighters, survivors and advocates meet here in Metropolis to raise money to build a 40 ft. lighthouse that will overlook the river with the everpresent beam of light. I like to think this light will one day come to represent the light that you can still find in your darkest hour of need like the folks at No Wooden Nickels. I will always tell others who are fighting this disease to have faith in God and continually tell yourself you are healed. Believe in the good, look forward and not back and talk, talk, talk to anyone who will listen. ~Teresa Larrison Breast Cancer Survivor & MedStart-5 Recipient "No Wooden Nickels has helped me continue the fight and I will not give up until the Lord tells me its time to go." Johnny Tremble Born and raised in Alabama in the late 50's Johnny Tremble knows a thing or two about struggle, fighting and beating the odds. After arriving in Chicago in 1963 Johnny enjoyed his position as shipping and receiving manager for twenty-three years at a company which manufactured percusion instruments. Then in 1995 at the age of 49, he began experiencing prostate problems. He saw a specialist and found he had elevated PSA levels and diagnosed with stage II prostate cancer. At that time he received radition therapy. By 2005 his PSA levels once again started to rise and as Johnny expresses his feelings at the time recalls, "I love life and I wasn't ready to go. I have five grand-children, one of which is eleven whom he picks up from school in the afternoon. I hate sitting around and I volunteer my time twice a week. I even served as a poll watcher for the Obama campaign." So in January, 2006 he opted for a salvage radical prostatectomy. But by the end of 2008 Johnny's medical bills were mounting and he found himself in financial crisis. "I wasn't sure if I could continue with treatment because of past due bills and still afford daily and monthly living expenses." That's when Johnny, through a partnership referral, contacted No Wooden Nickels. NWN helped Johnny continue with his treatments by assisting him with his outstanding medical bills and helped pay for badly needed medication. "I am so grateful for the assistance from NWN and loved how they personally reached out with a visit to my home. It's rare that you find an organization that is committed and cares enough to make sure that you are doing well after they have helped you. Although a born fighter Johnny is not yet out of the woods. He is currently taking three separate medications for prostate therapy, two for high blood pressure and receiving quarterly high dose injections for bone pain control and regular check ups. He also has to wear and maintain two colostomy bags--one of the possible side effects of his type of surgery and treatment. "I have personally seen two of my friends pass away from prostate cancer. I urged them both to get regular checkups but they wouldn't. The first friend lasted less than 2 months. Another after having had a mandatory checkup discovered the disease but would not go to the doctor. I will be volunteering for NWN and advocating for other patients and especially the men by encouraging them to get checked regularly and to make their health a priority. No Wooden Nickels has helped me continue the fight and I will not give up until the Lord tells me its time to go." ~Johnny Tremble MedStart-5 Recipient Nathan Mandell Photography "Antonio was the love of my life...our lives. He took care of everything for us." Tina Nacimento with picture of Antonio "Antonio was the love of my life...our lives. He took care of everything for us. How was I going to make it now...?" Tina had been lovingly married to Antonio for the past 38 years. She was referred to No Wooden Nickels by the cancer center where Antonio was being treated. Antonio was a self-employed real-estate agent but was unable to work in the last year of his life because he was too ill. Having applied for assistance for her husband in the Spring of 2008, Tina gladly fought every step of the way with him through chemo treatments and constant visits to the hospital. Unfortunately, Antonio died shortly thereafter, but No Wooden Nickels agreed to help pay the health insurance premiums for Tina for several months so that she would continued to be covered. Now a widow, Tina would have to find a way to cope. "I can not tell you how happy I was to know that there was an organization like No Wooden Nickels out there to help us during our time of need. My son has helped as much as possible but he can't carry the entire load. The people at No Wooden Nickels were so kind and giving throughout the entire application process. Although Antonio was the rock of this family I now have insurance and can see after my own health. I have my children and grandchildren who need me now more than ever." There are days when Tina still struggles with the loss as she recently celebrated a birthday. "It was so weird having a birthday without my husband," she says. Having a daughter who recently completed law school Tina still has hope. "Receiving help from No Wooden Nickels at the time I did let's me have one less burden to carry. I know now that I can help care for myself and see my daughter pass the bar examine soon. I know that Antonio would be proud." ~Tina Nacimento MedStart-5 Recipient "My name is Dionne Williams and I am a breast cancer survivor!" Dionne Williams & daughter, Alexandria A ll I can remember is the doctor saying, "Why did you come alone? You have cancer but you're going to be okay." Hundreds of thoughts ran through my mind. Like my husband offered to go with me to the doctor rather than work overtime and I told him to go ahead because I was sure it was nothing. I thought about how my mother called and wanted to go and I told her no. I was sure it was nothing and besides my mother always nagged me about everything but I was sure it was nothing. You're probably saying to yourself why were you so sure it was nothing? I'll tell you: I had a first cousin on my father's side that died of breast cancer when I was 24 or maybe 25 years old. Every year from then forward I asked for a mammogram and was told I was too young. My aunt--my cousins mother on my father's side of the family--was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years later. She survived and yet again for years, I was told that I couldn't have cancer because it was on my father's side and it didn't spread like that, besides I was too young. Well here I am, 20 chemotherapy visits and 33 radiations later. With $50,000.00 in medical bills and guess what, I'm a first generation breast cancer survivor for my family. At first I was angry, hurt, and scared. Not just for myself, but for my children. I thought to myself, with all the modern technology out here, I'll be fine. After all, I've read the articles and I've seen the movies. Everyone thinks they're educated about breast cancer until it happens to you and then you find out you haven't got a clue. I had so much paperwork not to mention medication; it was like going back to school. How about when the nurses told me to the day when my hair would start falling out? It was Super Bowl Sunday and we were having a party. I cried quietly in the bathroom to myself because guests were arriving. Looking in the mirror became one of my biggest fears. I made my husband promise to shave the rest of my hair off when it became unbearable to look at myself. Eventually, that day came and we both cried through the entire haircut. I kept to myself a lot because I didn't want a pity party. I worked through my entire treatment. Not because I wanted to but because I had to in order to survive. After all, I had a child in her first year of college and a son in seventh grade. The treatment is something you could never imagine. Imagine being sick with the stomach flu times 10 for 3 weeks and then when you're finally well enough to get out of bed it's time for another treatment and you start the whole process all over again. Now imagine feeling like that and having to go to work everyday. I was never afraid to ask questions about cancer and you would have too if you saw my nurses in the infusion room. My nurses would give me my treatment with these gloves on like I was a science project. I asked why and she told me that the chemicals were so strong they could burn a whole in the floor and this was being put in my body-oh my goodness! Finally, I was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and chemotherapy was almost over. I was starting to get excited but I almost forgot about radiation. Radiation was different. It was everyday and it burned my skin to the point of where it turned black and cracked. This is all in the name of being cancer free. When the doctor told me my cancer was in remission I was ecstatic. I was broke but happy. My gas was being turned off, but I was happy. I was getting a divorce, but I was happy. I couldn't right a check to my doctor because I had bounced so many checks during treatment, but I was happy. Don't get me wrong, I thank God everyday that I am alive to see my children grow up. I worry about my daughter all the time and she has had her first breast ultrasound and she's okay. I dread the day they say my cancer is back. But there are still silver linings: during one of my appointments at Pronger-Smith Hospital, I got a referral from one of the nurses who told me of an organization that help people like me. I made the contact and spoke directly with the executive director who walked me through the application process and promised me that they could help. My experience with No Wooden Nickels has been wonderful. First of all who ever talks directly with the President of an organization? You usually deal with everyone else. And for her to personally call me I could tell that she genuinely cared. I guess she could here in my voice how frustrated and worried I was about my finances. By the time I got off the phone with her she had me laughing and smiling. She assured me that my situation would be okay and that someone cares. Sometimes that's all you need to hear. I thank God for organizations like No Wooden Nickels because had it not been for them, my son and I would have gone without heat this year. They were also generous enough to allow me to apply to their Rita A. Wilson scholarship fund to assist with my daughter's book fees while attending Howard University. I was also proud to be asked to be a part of their fundraiser because it allowed me to see all of the dedication and hard work that goes into raising money so that people in my situation can have one less worry. One less burden during this challenging and difficult time in our lives. ~Dionne Williams Survivor and MedStart-5 Recipient Copyright 2010 - No Wooden Nickels All Rights Reserved.