The American Cancer Society is hosting its annual Men Wear Pink party today, Aug. 16, to celebrate the 35 Men Wear Pink ambassadors who have joined the 2023 New Orleans campaign. The event, which takes place at the Solari Orleans located at 2125 St. Charles Ave. from 6 - 8 p.m., will recognize the ambassadors for their efforts in raising awareness and money to save lives from breast cancer.
DePaul Community Health Centers’ Vice President of Communications, External Affairs & Fund Development, Harold Ellis Clark, is one of the ambassadors for this year’s campaign and is sharing what he and his wife, Cherie, experienced when she was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2019. Read Harold and Cherie’s story, below, to see how support, medical resources, and prayers can help save a life from cancer.
“Receiving a cancer diagnosis for my wife, Cherie, was the furthest thing from our minds on our 31st wedding anniversary in July 2019. However, the oncologist with whom we met indicated just that – ampullary carcinoma, a rare cancer.
No cancer diagnosis is good but hearing that many people don’t get a particular type of cancer is extremely frightening. Explaining this to our two daughters proved to be very difficult and emotional.
The surgeon’s gameplan included Cherie undergoing several rounds of chemo, an eight-nine hour surgical procedure, followed by additional rounds of chemo. The surgery occurred on a 35-degree day in November. After the procedure, the surgeon shared that the chemo had done its job – he could barely locate the tumor. The nurses who assisted Cherie immediately after surgery said they had never seen anyone so alert and upbeat after that kind of procedure.
After undergoing additional rounds of chemo for a few months beginning in 2020, Cherie was declared cancer-free in July of that year. The surgeon indicated that he would use her as a testament to how he and his team would like for future patients to respond to the treatments and surgery.
Going through an experience like this lets you know pretty quickly who are the friends and family members you can count on. Their care and concern played a major role in helping us with this challenge. Some of them took my wife to chemo, called us every day, and provided gift cards to different restaurants so that we didn’t have to cook.
The experience has brought Cherie and I closer and increased our faith in God. We pray together every night, and speak the names of people we ask Him to heal. We also attempt to pay it forward by purchasing restaurant gift cards for people who are ill to alleviate them from having to cook a meal or two.
Supporting the American Cancer Society, along with my fellow 2023 Men Wear Pink ambassadors, represents my way of thanking everyone who assisted us during our time of need, and praising God for healing Cherie, who’s my wife and best friend.”