When Kathy Wood was 46 years-old, she was excited to be expecting her second
grandchild. What she wasn’t expecting was to be diagnosed with Stage
4 colorectal cancer.
Over the past nine years she has endured non-stop chemotherapy treatments,
numerous surgeries, radiation treatments and participation in several
clinical trials. The stylish Granite Falls resident has lost and regrown
her hair three times. Today, she wears a trendy asymmetrical hairstyle
and maintains an extremely active lifestyle punctuated by a positive outlook
on the future and a zest for life that she shares with her granddaughter,
Jenna Suddreth. Kathy views Jenna’s birth as the catalyst which
gave her a reason to live. The two formed a profound bond that inspires
her to keep fighting cancer.
“Jenna doesn’t know life any other way but to be Nanna’s
champion against cancer,” said Wood. “She and I just have
this incredible bond. Everywhere I go, Jenna has to go.”
Jenna, typically quiet and shy, transforms into an outgoing caregiver once
in her comfort zone at
CVMC Comprehensive Cancer Center Infusion Treatment Center. During Kathy’s chemotherapy treatments,
Jenna not only brings Kathy heated blankets and ice chips for comfort,
she also asks other patients in the sunny treatment center if she can
bring them anything too. Her comfort level and familiarity with the
Infusion Treatment Center stems from the fact that this is also the setting where the PALS and CLIMB
support groups are held.
“A cancer diagnosis is scary for the whole family and can be difficult
to talk about,” said Barbara Stark, CVMC Oncology Social Worker.
“A child’s feelings may not be addressed because everyone
is focused on absorbing the news and getting started with treatment. The
CLIMB program helps kids identify their feelings and learn ways to manage
them. It also offers an opportunity to meet other families going through
the same experience. ”
Kathy volunteers at Jenna’s school, Granite Falls Elementary, and
was recognized as its Volunteer of the Year in 2014. It was there that
Jenna shared her concern about a boy in her class who was sobbing every
day. After learning that they boy’s mother had recently been diagnosed
with breast cancer, Kathy reached out to the family and invited them to
attend the next support group meeting of PALS, which begins with a 6-week
session called CLIMB.
“It was as if the boy was carrying the burden of his mother’s
sickness emotionally,” Kathy said. “Jenna is so enthusiastic
about going to the hospital for CLIMB, that several other parents and
I asked if the hospital could extend that program, which used to meet
twice a year, to a monthly meeting called PALS.
At CLIMB, Jenna learned that being sad, frightened and even angry is a
normal part of coping with cancer. The sessions helped her normalize feelings
and express them through art projects and discussions. This opportunity
to express complicated emotions and to meet other kids going through a
similar situation reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by them.
Do you know a child whose parent or grandparent has cancer? Tell them about
CLIMB/PALS –New Session Starts September 23 at 6pm
Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery (CLIMB) is an introduction for kids (5-12 years-old) and their families to participate
in six consecutive weekly meetings to help normalize feelings of sadness,
anxiety, fear and anger related to cancer, while stimulating communication
between children and their parent or grandparent with cancer. Past CLIMB
participants asked for an opportunity to continue building upon the relationships
and coping skills they gained during CLIMB. In response, CVMC now offers
PALS, an acronym for Providing Awareness Love and Support, on the 2nd
Tuesday of the months CLIMB sessions are not offered. CVMC facilitators
have been specially trained to provide this program. All PALS/CLIMB sessions
are held on Tuesdays from 6:00 – 7:30pm at the CVMC Comprehensive
Cancer Center Infusion Center, 810 Fairgrove Church Rd SE, Hickory, NC
28602. Sessions are free and include a light meal. Participants are asked
to pre-register by contacting Barbara Stark – 828/326-3397 or
bstark@catawbavalleymc.org.