When you meet Cheri Lofquist, her radiant energy and infectious joy leaves such a lasting impression that you could never imagine the challenges the past five years have brought her. She easily blends into the supercharged evening crowd at the Dowd YMCA, working hard, loving every second of it.
But in June of 2001, Cheri’s healthy active life came to a screeching halt when was diagnosed with kidney failure, leading to nine months of dialysis.
“During those 9 months, it took every fiber of my body to try and be positive. Three days a week I was hooked up to a machine that was saving my life,” she says. “Yet I was so depressed and felt like my life was over.”

In April 2002, Cheri underwent a kidney transplant, alongside her mom who was her donor. As with any transplant, the odds of success are far from 100 percent.

“When we found out the transplant was a success, I was thrilled,” she said, thinking the worst was over.

Little did she know that just two years later, while shopping with her mom, Cheri would discover a lump in her breast. And while the devastation she felt was immeasurable, she knew she had to rally and fight this disease with everything she had.

And fighting breast cancer for Cheri meant a mastectomy just weeks later, followed by four months of aggressive chemotherapy, which she chose to have toward the end of the 2004 school year so she wouldn’t have to miss the kids she teaches.

In 2005, Cheri underwent reconstructive surgery and now can thankfully report having a healthy functioning kidney and a cancer-free bill of health for one year and 8 months now. In August of 2005, she went to Africa to share her story with cancer patients at a hospital in Kenya. And somehow throughout this time period, this amazing woman managed to earn her PhD.

“Overcoming two major illnesses I feel like I can conquer anything and I truly don’t take a single day for granted,” she says. “My spiritual beliefs, my friends and family, and working out at the YMCA have been a godsend.”

Cheri has no restrictions to live by at this time. Sure, she has plenty of check-ups and will likely be taking medications the rest of her life, but she is far from mired in what-ifs or restrictions.

“I would tell people who face adversity to never give up. Keep a positive attitude...it is amazing what the mind can do,” she says, grateful for every single prayer said for her. “And share your story with someone. You never know who will benefit from it.”

“Time flies.” That’s how Phyllis Martin began a story she wrote for the National MS Society’s recent newsletter. Diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis 26 years ago, Phyllis’s day-to-day determination embodies the long, but tireless, journey toward finding a cure for this debilitating disease.

Phyllis grew up active, riding horses, dancing, and marching in local parades. She continued to dance as she headed to college and eventually carried her love for movement and the power within her body into becoming a personal trainer.

It was just before her youngest son was born that she began experiencing eye twitching and signs of imbalance, raising enough concern with her doctors that they asked her to choose between having her son and taking a great risk with her health.

“It wasn’t even a choice for me,” she says. “In fact, we are right in the middle of planning my son’s wedding right now.”

It is ironic, some would say, that a woman with a personal, professional and recreational life so centered around movement would be afflicted with a chronic disease that literally robs the body of movement, sensation and control in a way that is not only debilitating, but also unpredictable.
And while her MS still allows her the ability to go hiking, to exercise and work with her clients, to dance and ride her bike, the effort required certainly varies as does her body’s responsiveness and recovery. From time-to-time, she experiences serious flare-ups of her disease that can leave her confined to a wheelchair for up to three weeks at a time, never knowing how long it will last or if that particular episode will leave some lasting impairment.

She describes those periods when things start spiraling down as “scary as the dickens”, but copes by eating right, resting and remembering that she always comes out of it. And she vows one day to invent a wheelchair that brings people to eye level with everyone else, saying that being literally “looked down on” is one of the worst parts.

Phyllis and her husband Wes, an avid runner and cyclist, have been married 30 years now. When she describes their hiking trips, times they have gone dancing together, and their rides to the beach, she calls him her “balance”.

“I owe so much to my husband. He’s just so cool, so loving, so helpful, and always there to help me up a mountain or pick me up when I fall,” she said. “And it’s good for him too. He walks slow now and says he sees a lot more than he used to. He hasn’t lost anything and has actually gained a perspective he didn’t have before.”

What does she have to say to others facing challenges? “What you think about in the universe expands, so think about being healthy and what you CAN do. And think about being happy… how can you not flourish in that situation?”

And look for her on the next MS Ride to the Beach. God willing this Fall will the 22nd ride for her and Wes.

“Time will keep flying,” she says. “We've got to find a cure. And as long as God gives me the strength, I’ll keep riding.”

There’s no shortage of reports about the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, but that has not always been the case. In fact, we have only really grown concerned with the issue over the past 5-6 years and we often overlook the emotional and psychological impact of a child growing up heavy in a society that definitely values thin. Emily Haake lived exactly that kind of childhood and battled not only the weight, but her sense of self, well into adulthood.

“It was difficult being an obese child. Especially in a world, when at that time, there were very, very few obese kids,” says this 25-year old native Charlottean. “The girls my age were half my size and the boys weren’t interested in the ‘fat girl’.”

Like so many kids, Emily could feel herself holding back in a lot of situations, letting opportunities pass her by, because she lacked the self esteem or confidence in herself to take risks. She believes being an obese child continued to have an impact on her into adulthood.

“It is hard to forget those hurtful words that people said and to this day when I catch people staring at me, I feel like they are looking at me in a negative way and whispering,” she says. “There are times I still see myself in the mirror as I did when I was heavier. I know that I am smaller now, my clothing sizes are proof of that, but my “body image” is still warped and may never be normal.”

But Emily made a decision to follow in the footsteps on her inspiration, her mom, and start getting active, making smart, deliberate choices to exercise and eat right. She also began taking opportunities to live her life to the fullest, trying not to miss out on anything anymore.

She admits the road has not been an easy one, but she has had lots of support.

“If it weren’t for my mom, my weight loss success would not have been possible over the past 11 years. She was the one that got me into exercise for lifelong health,” says Emily. “She prayed many nights for me that I would lose the weight that plagued my life and find happiness as a healthy kid. She encourages me and gives me strength.”

Now happily married to the love of her life, Emily says her battle over childhood obesity and the support of wonderful friends and family has brought her to a better place of confidence and acceptance. The legacy of her childhood struggles still challenges her from time to time, but she knows that is part of the ongoing process.

“Face your challenges head on, no matter how insurmountable they seem,” she says. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Do something about it and pray… pray a lot!”

On an early September morning in 1999, Greg Sabo set out for another 100 mile bike ride, part of his preparation for Ironman Florida. Just three miles from his house, his ride abruptly ended when he was hit from behind by a pickup truck, his bike pinned under the truck’s wheels, and his life saved thanks only to the slight angle his body took when he was thrown from his bike.

“I ended up breaking three bones on my spinal cord in my lower back. Also I broke my right big toe, injured both Achilles tendons, sustained road rash on my shoulders and knee and landed in a pile of poison oak which spread throughout my body as I tried to heal. I was out of work for two months,” describes Sabo. “I had to wear a back brace for five months that immobilized my torso from right below the shoulders down to my waist. I was very lucky to survive this accident!”
 
After getting out of the back brace, Greg spent months in physical therapy and still experiences back pain when he has to stand for too long. And this also limits him to bike rides no more than 60 miles or so in length. But the few physical limits he experiences now have far from deterred his determination.

“I did not want this driver who hit me take away my ability to race duathlons, triathlons and running races. So I made sure I was going to come back stronger and faster than ever,” he says. “The one thing I did was not to rush anything on my return.”

Since his return, Greg has become a stronger athlete than before the accident. He has represented the US in five ITU Duathlon Short Course World Championships. In 2005, he ended the season ranked #2 in the country for duathlon, was 3rd place at USAT Duathlon Nationals, and 2nd American at World’s held in Newcastle, Australia. He was also selected as an Inside Triathlon Magazine All-American.

He advice to anyone facing similar challenges is to take time to let everything heal properly then spend the time necessary in rehab before you rush out to race or train again. And to remember what is truly important. To Greg, being able to come home safely to his wife and his sons trumps everything else and he is grateful that the hand fate dealt him on that September morning allows him to still enjoy the best things in life.

When 22-year old Mario Williams, a two-time all American at Gardner-Webb University, took the field against Liberty University in the Fall of 2004, he has no idea the strange twist his life would take as a result of one tackle. And how an arch-rivalry would be forever changed.

“This was a rival game for both of us and we didn’t even like one another at all”, says Mario, referring to Liberty running back Eugene Goodman. “It happened on an off tackle run that Eugene ran off the right side. I chased him and tackled him and then it happened. That was the last time either of us has been on a field.”

In a moment, two players with dreams of playing in the NFL experienced their worst nightmare — Mario broke his tibia and Eugene broke his tibia and fibula. For both it was their right leg. For both, it was the end of their senior year season. And for both, it was a frustrating, emotionally draining and helpless experience.

“We both struggled with the reality that an opportunity at a professional career was now in great jeopardy. Neither of us had been injured before,” says Eugene. “It really takes a toll on you every day, just asking ‘why’.”

Mario admits to being impatient with his rehabilitation, to pushing himself too hard before his leg was ready, and delaying the healing process. In May, he connected with Epicenter in Charlotte and began in rehab all over again.

“The mistake I made at first was doing whatever I could no matter how much it hurt. At Epicenter, they got me back to full strength and in a manner which was good for my body,” he says. “I think the key was they were patient and built their way up. I’m really grateful for them because of that.”

Mario also talked about the importance of having supportive and understanding people in your life. The person who supported him most, he says, prayed for him all the time and stayed by his side never losing focus on the ending picture.

“She always reminded me that everything happens for a reason, that God has a plan for me and He would never put too much on me that I couldn’t bare,” he says. “I think they key is to never feel sorry for yourself and try hard to stay focused on the big picture.”

Today, in another twist of fate, one tackle that took two rival players out of the game with near identical injuries, has also brought them together as friends and now as roommates supporting each other as they try again to achieve their dreams. After all, if there’s one thing that you really seek when you’re going through something difficult, it’s the company of someone who really gets it.

In the spring of 1990, Sarah Carroll was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Even today with all the progress made in treating cancer, survival rates for this type of cancer remain low, at 19%, and leukemia remains the number one disease related death in children under the age of 15.

Like any typical teenager, Sarah believed she was invincible. She was an accomplished athlete, active on the softball team and tennis teams all throughout high school and college. And her family shared her love of sports. No doubt that same passion and determination fueled the family “team” for the fight against Sarah’s cancer.

On June 28th of that year, with the fortunate discovery that her brother had the same bone marrow type, she received a bone marrow transplant, followed by a year of recovery and home-schooling to protect her weakened immune system from germs.

“Obviously, I owe my brother my life,” she says and adds that her recovery was a result of a family effort. “My entire family was there by my side every step of the way. Whatever I went through they went through with me.” 

Sarah says her parents and siblings were always optimistic about her illness and the treatment plan. Even if they were afraid or nervous, she never saw it. The love, support and strength she received from them is something she will never forget.

In honor of her 15th “Bone Marrow Birthday” — the day of her transplant — Sarah decided to train for a marathon as a member of the Western North Carolina Chapter of Team in Training. Sarah ran 26.2 miles at The P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona along with over 1,700 TNT participants in a tribute to her survival, to her family, and to all the other survivors, patients and families she has met along her journey.

When she talks to others diagnosed with cancer, she can’t stress enough the importance of optimism.

“I really believe my attitude played a big part in my overcoming cancer. I never once thought I could die,” she says. “Never give up. You have to think ‘I have been faced with this challenge for a reason and I am going to win.’”
It’s funny. I try hard not to write about people I know personally. Somehow I worry that it will skew the story. But this story introduced you to Cheri, a former co-worker and friend for several years, and someone I will always be thrilled to see, knowing God has given her more time to share her huge smiles and her amazing story with all of us.
I know each of you reading this story has someone like that in your circle of friends and family. And while this particular article is finished, I encourage you to share their story. Please email me at debbiecrawford@carolina.rr.comand we will revisit this topic soon. After all, can there ever be too many reminders that no matter what happens, we can come through it better and stronger, with the help of our friends, family, faith and our own inner spirit?