Deceased Mesothelioma Patient's Daughter Coordinates Cancer Survivor's Day Event

The daughter of a man who passed away from mesothelioma coordinated the 12th annual Cancer Survivor’s Day event at a Spartanburg, South Carolina hospital June 7, 2009.

The event, hosted by Gibbs Cancer Center, a nationally recognized cancer treatment and research facility associated with Spartanburg Regional Medical Center (SRMC), took place in the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium from 2 to 5 p.m.

Lori Anne Morrow, a nurse at SRMC, coordinated the event but noted this year’s event was a little bittersweet since her father passed away in May 2009 and could not attend.

In the past, Morrow’s father volunteered at the event and operated a spotlight. Before the event Morrow stated that although her father wouldn’t be there physically, she knew he would be there in spirit.

The event, which averages 1,200 attendees annually, was free and featured a country western band to enhance the Wild West theme. According to Morrow, the theme was selected to symbolize the “new horizons taking place in cancer research and survivorship.”

Doctors served dinner and a video was shown to remember those who have passed away from cancer.

Morrow said the event was created to celebrate anyone diagnosed with cancer, stating, “The minute you’re diagnosed, you’re a survivor. People think you have to survive cancer to beat cancer.”

“We get to see a lot of these people more than they see their families,” Morrow said of those battling cancer. She said the event is “like a big family reunion almost. It’s a positive aspect for something not always positive.”

Morrow’s father passed away from malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that affects the membrane that lines several body cavities. Mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. It may take several decades for a patient to demonstrate symptoms of mesothelioma after initial exposure to asbestos, allowing the cancer to reach later levels of development.

Additional information about mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Mesothelioma, South Carolina. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.