Festival of Life Celebrates Cancer Survivors
Photo by Brook Photography
Ira “Jack” Sloan, who was recently treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, came to celebrate with his daughters and to thank the doctors and nurses who he says went out of their way to make him comfortable. “I’m only alive because of USC and my daughters,” he said.
Guests were treated to the sounds of Disneyland’s Bayou Brass Band while they enjoyed a continental breakfast under sunny skies. Harv the Magician roved the crowd, entertaining kids with balloon animals, and numerous booths offered information on survivorship issues.
Michael DeRisi, who had been treated for kidney cancer at USC Norris, was celebrating five years of survivorship. “I’m very thankful for the incredible doctors and staff I found here at Norris,” he said.
The day included a formal program, moderated by physician, author and television personality, Art Ulene. Clare Templeman, assistant professor of obstetrics/gynecology and surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, shared her thoughts about hope as a driving force for those who work at Norris.
“To me, Norris is a community of people who provide hope … and the greatest place I’ve ever worked,” said Templeman.
Vicki Kompaniez, a USC Norris volunteer and breast cancer survivor, recalled how she left in the middle of chemotherapy at another institution to finish her treatment at USC Norris.
“I walked in to Norris and I felt like I had come home,” said Kompaniez, whose husband also was successfully treated for esophageal cancer a year earlier at USC Norris. “The care, the love, the support; from the minute you drive up at the valet … you feel nothing but taken care of.”
Chorda Tympani, a medical student barbershop quartet who entertained the crowd with their rendition of “Come Fly with Me” during the program, had a very special member among their ranks. Robert Martinez, a first-year medical student at the Keck School of Medicine, is also a former patient of USC Norris, where he was treated for colon cancer in 2004.
He lauded USC Norris as an exceptional treatment facility that treats the “whole person” with compassion. Martinez, who was inspired to study medicine because of his experience with cancer, encouraged the crowd to share their stories with others.
“Always think about the patients who are being diagnosed, how you can share your success story with them,” he said. “Focus on how you can inspire others to keep fighting, because you can easily lose track.”
At the end of the program, white doves were released as the crowd stood in unity and sang “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand.”
Latest stories
- A Pill Against Chemo? February 9, 2010 10:21 AM
- Fall Applications Up Slightly at USC February 9, 2010 8:12 AM
- For-Profit Colleges Focus of New Book February 9, 2010 8:08 AM
-
For Journalists »
-
USC in the News
for 2/9/2010 »-
Los Angeles ran an op-ed by Bill Deverell of the USC College about looking to the past in order to move on to the future. “You can do better, Los Angeles. You’ve heard it before: admonishment from the lecture hall pulpit or the pages of a book or magazine. History matters. You should pay closer attention,” Deverell wrote. “The history of Los Angeles reflects and illuminates American and world history all at once. With a little effort, something powerful happens: historical sensibility provides perspective on the here and now. Who wouldn’t want that?” The column is the first in a series for the magazine’s new CityThink section, L.A. Observed reported.
SoCal Minds featured the USC Good Neighbors Campaign, in which USC faculty and staff donate money for programs benefiting the neighborhoods surrounding the USC campus. The program was launched under the direction of USC President Steven B. Sample in reaction to the Los Angeles riots, the story noted. The campaign raised a record-breaking $1.2 million in donations this past year, despite tough economic times, the article stated. The story reported that several university units had 100 percent participation, including the USC Rossier School, KUSC-FM, the USC Fisher Museum of Art, the Office of the Treasurer, the Office of the Senior Vice President, Administration, the Health Sciences Libraries and USCard Services.
CNN cited research conducted by Adam Rose of the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development for USC’s Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events. Rose’s study found that the standard economic costs of the 9/11 attacks, estimated at $25 billion, were exceeded by the costs of behavioral reactions far from the site of the attack (for example, an additional $85 billion due to a decrease in demand for air travel).
Variety reported that the 22nd annual USC Libraries Scripter Award was given to “Up in the Air” novelist Walter Kirn and to USC alumnus Jason Reitman and Shelton Turner, who adapted Kirn’s book for the screen. In his acceptance speech, Reitman noted that his father, Ivan Reitman, used USC’s Doheny Memorial Library as a stand-in for the New York Public Library in “Ghostbusters.” The Wrap noted that Catherine Quinlan, dean of USC Libraries, emceed the ceremony.
National Public Radio’s “13.7” ran a commentary by K.C. Cole of the USC Annenberg School about the role of science in diplomacy. “We all know that the technology produced from scientific research can make international conflicts more deadly than ever. But can science help stop war?” Cole said. She mentioned that she recently took part in a USC Center on Public Diplomacy conference on science diplomacy and the prevention of conflict.
-
-
Campus News
- Capital Connections
- USC faculty, staff and alumni in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento
- In Print
- New and recent books written or edited by USC faculty and staff
- Family Matters
- Achievements and awards
- Obituaries