“I insist on enjoying the time I have left”

How Arsenal and the Willow Foundation gave David Williams a very special day out – and a whole lot more “I’ve had lots of ups and downs in life and some dark times as a child and young adult, but being diagnosed with terminal cancer has given me a clarity that puts everything into perspective….

Firefighters plan fundraising walk for children with cancer

Northport firefighters plan to walk more than 60 miles in one day to raise money and awareness for children battling with cancer. The April 28 trek is the brainchild of Manuel Jimenez, a paramedic firefighter with the Northport Fire Rescue Service, who said the goal is to raise at least $2,500 through the walk. Jimenez…

Biologist giving cancer patients a Dose of the Coast

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Ashley Ferguson experienced an epiphany four years ago when she took her cancer-stricken father on a guided fishing trip near Empire. In terms of numbers, there was nothing especially memorable about the day. They caught some speckled trout and redfish, but not limits of either. Her father, Donald…

Elderly woman Norma Cook…taken in by kind neighbor Chris Salvator

An emerging actor Chris Salvatore, 31, has invited his elderly neighbor Norma Cook, 89, to live with him permanently in an effort to cut her health costs. Norma is battling leukemia. Norma Cook, the 89-year-old woman whose friendship with her neighbor, 31, melted hearts across the nation, died in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning. The…

How family hit twice by cancer got by: ‘One small victory at a time’

As Geri Shepard walked with her son to Mount Sinai’s cancer clinic in Manhattan, families with young kids buzzed around her. She stared at them for a minute, trying to figure out why so many people were outside. Then, it dawned on her: For most families — those whose lives hadn’t been overrun by words like “immunotherapy” and…

Help needed for cerebral palsy sufferer’s walking dream

A teenager’s dream to one day be able to play sport has inspired a family to help make it happen. When retired Gulf Harbour resident Faye Brea read Kate Harpur’s story in a December issue of The Rodney Times, she was moved by the 19-year-old’s dream.Living with cerebral palsy spasticity, the Orewa student is on a fundraising…