One promise for many cures

Posted by Emily Myers on October 23, 2013

Team McCue Left to Right Mark Johnson, Steph Lukens, Wanda McCue, Connor McCue, Gwyn Obertolzer.

Wanda McCue is making good on the promise she made to herself and her cancer doctor. When McCue was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma 18 months ago, she made a promise to help others with cancer if she was cured. Part of the promise was fulfilled by a 5K run/walk on Sunday October 20.

McCue’s husband, Rich, said that he appreciated the compassion shown after receiving the diagnosis. We had to put aside questions of how a person who ate right and exercised got cancer. Cancer specialist Dr.Raymond Vivacqua “stepped through what we would do next.” He made the treatment seem doable.

“What you have is curable” was the first step.

Next was the fear of going to a cancer center, even the name scared McCue. Upon arriving at the Crozer-Keystone Cancer Center at Brinton Lake, McCue said it was “more like a spa” than a medical facility.

McCue continued to work and run throughout the course of her treatment. She is grateful that she was the one that was afflicted rather than anyone else in her family. “I was chosen to bear it because I could.”

Dr. Raymond Vivaqua finishing his lap — Dr. Raymond Vivacqua finishing his lap

On the first anniversary of her diagnosis, McCue worked with Dr. Vivacqua to form the Crozer Cancer Project Team. The race is the first of several fund raising events. Proceeds for all events will go to support the mission of the Crozer Regional Cancer Center to be a “comprehensive, leading edge provider of accessible, compassionate and state of the art cancer care for patients in our region.”

The team is an all volunteer group which organized the first 5K run/walk “Care 2 Cure.” The participants started at the Crozer-Keystone Cancer Center at Brinton Lake. The course wended through adjoining properties then back to the start-finish line.

Brigid Sullivan finished first in the group of 1K walkers

Brigid Sullivan, Garnet Valley High School graduate and Penn State-Brandywine student, finished first for the 1K walk. Her mom and dad, Katherine and Stephen, participated as well. Stephen is vice president of the Crozer Foundation.

Grant Gegwich, vice president of Public Relations and Marketing for Crozer-Keystone Health System, finished first for the 5K runners.

McCue is training for the Philadelphia Marathon. “You can’t let cancer define who you are. It never defined me,” she said.

Disclaimer: Emily Myers' husband Dr. James Lebedda practices in the same group as Vivacqua, Associates in Hematology and Oncology.

About Emily Myers

Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years. She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982. ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community. Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors. Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi. She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.