Community Hospital in Munster will host its annual lighting of the Lights of Life trees at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4. (Photo courtesy of Community Hospital)
Susie Marcus didn’t let her cancer diagnosis get the best of her.
Thanks to treatment and support, she’s a cancer survivor. Now Marcus has dedicated herself to helping others find the strength and courage to fight through the physical and emotional tolls, battling the disease can take on a patient and those close to them.
“I know very well the fears, anxieties, challenges and hopes that accompany a cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery,” she said. “My approach is both personal and professional.”
Marcus facilitates the Caregivers Support and Breast Cancer groups at the Cancer Resource Centre in Munster. She also leads the Hope Network Support Group at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart.
For her dedication to raising awareness about breast cancer, its diagnosis, treatment and recovery and the advancement of survivorship, Marcus will serve as guest of honor and will light the trees at Community Hospital in Munster’s annual Lights of Life ceremony at 6 p.m., Dec. 4, at the hospital’s outpatient entrance off Columbia and Fisher Avenues.
Lights for placement on the Lights of Life trees are available for purchase. Each light represents a $5 donation to the Community Cancer Research Foundation.
For a $15 donation, individuals receive a pink breast cancer awareness pin, a lavender cancer awareness pin, or a Hope lapel cancer awareness pin can also be sent to honorees along with a gift card in addition to reserving a light.
The Region has responded to the program. Since the Lights of Life program began in 2000, more than $250,000 has been raised.
For the past 19 years, holiday lights on the Lights of Life trees outside Community Hospital in Munster have been illuminated and serve as a reminder of the journey of hope that accompanies a cancer diagnosis. Each pink and lavender light on the Lights of Life trees represents a donation made to the Community Cancer Research Foundation Inc., which supports cancer research initiatives that improve the community’s access to the latest advancements in prevention, detection and treatment.
