Thanks for making this celebration goal a reality!!! You make the patients feel so special and you spoil us! My past five years at CTCA has been by far the best treatment I have received during my battle with cancer. God bless all of you.
God has blessed me with most wonderful caregivers that can be found....the staff at CTCA is wonderful !!! I am truly excited about the celebration!
I can't wait for the celebration and reuniting with friends we met at CTCA during my treatment!
My Husband would not be here with me today if it were not for Cancer Centers of America... Only those who have almost or lost their spouse can know what this can mean to someone married 30 years...THANK YOU
Being optimistic and handling any negative thoughts has been great assistance for overcoming all that I have faced.
I am a cancer survivor Thanks TO Ctca It was a rough ride for awhile but with Jesus there's always Hope!! Keep trying to look up and look forward it will get better if not here definitely in heaven God bless
Hello Tulsa Philly &Phoenix! We believed In our faith and our hospital. And here we are 5 years later! Hooray! God 's continued blessings on us and our CTCA.
It's wonderful to be here for the event. We have been waiting a long time for it.
Positive thinking is the first step. The more positive you are, the more you believe, the more others around you will also believe. It cannot be done alone. It takes the whole community, doctors, family, friends and yourself to reach your goal.
2002 survivor and still going strong!
After five years of being a cancer survivor it is a great moment to be here at the Celebrate Life 2010 event and to be among the best caregivers a person could have.
Looking for a blessing tomorrow.
Here we are at Celebrate Life! Been to Prime Outlet and now headed to the celebrant dinner. Nick is headed to the "big city"! Looking forward to reconnecting with "old friends" tomorrow at the hospital!
Have had good service and doing good. Glad to go to CTCA.
Great to see so many celebrants. Makes me proud to work here.
What a wonderful institution. Thanks for everything!
5 year survivor, looking forward to tomorrows celebration. Love ya back home in South Carolina.
CTCA is a God send. I am so thankful that the Lord led us here. There is no better place to be! God bless one and all!!
SINCE I CAME TO CTC....I HAVE FELT THAT I HAVE HAD A VERY POSITIVE FEELING TOWARDS MY DIAGNOSIS..THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR GIVING ME MY LIFE BACK..YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL AT THE HOSPITAL...THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL
5 years and counting! Met a lot of wonderful people full of faith, hope and love. Praise the Lord for all he has done.
The road was long. I thank the staff at Cancer Treatment Center of America for their compassion, thoroughness and true concern. I thank God for guiding me here. With the Lord, Jesus, all things are possible.
CTCA is a blessing because of the way I was treated and the service that were provided.
Here at CTCA I am very excited and grateful to be here. Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ. May all those who get stricken with cancer, believe and have faith in Jesus Christ and treatment at CTCA!
Thank you CTCA for all that you have done for us. What a great staff.
The cancer journey put me in touch with my soul, my strength, my family and friends.
CTCA gave me great results. I recommend them to everyone.
I call this hospital my "Oasis in the desert of cancer" I am still here because of the care provided by the staff at this hospital and our Lord. Thanks to cancer my journey here has been enriched in many ways. Alan
Cancer Center of America has been such a blessing to me, the journey I have been through I could not have done without them. All I can say is thank you and God Bless!!
Believe...yes, we do believe. We believe in God, friends, family, and the wonderful people at CTCA. I am here celebrating with Josh and Joshua our family victory over cancer. Thanks to all of you who have helped guide us on this journey.
I have felt that without CTCA I could not have assisted my wife through the journey of Cancer treatment. The people at CTCA are wonderful and I would recommend any and all to look into the services that this hospital provides. What a joyful place !
I am most thankful to God for sending me to CTCA. I received great care ad treatment from the staff. I wish to encourage everyone that there is hope. Many thanks to Sheena my wife for her support. God Bless
This is an awesome place of healing. God, my family and CTCA have been my support through this time. I consider myself to be lucky to have had the opportunity to be at this facility. I was meant to come here. I completely BELIEVE in this place.
everyday is another day to look forward to. i try to laugh each day,smile and just appreciate everything around me.i love to travel and just keep doing so and so glad that i am doing that and enjoying my life.
God bless CTCA! You have been wonderful and I appreciate what everyone has done to make my cancer journey an unforgettable experience. I am so thankful to the Lord for leading me to come here and have recommended CTCA to many others.
I have been looking forward to this day from the moment I walked into the hospital and saw the tree with the leaves for the 5-year survivors. Now I'm one of the survivors! I thank God and the CTCA hospital. I wish my mother was here to celebrate!
Life is a journey. While we are at this wonderful event, Celebrate Life 2010, I have been encouraged through my personal journey to celebrate each and every day through each breath I have been given.Thanks CTCA for giving me more days to do just that
CTCA Patients are the most inspiring, brave cancer fighters. They lead by example Celebrating Life every day! This weekend we Celebrate and honor them!! What an amazing tribute to their amazing spirit! Here's to Celebrating Life!
What a beautiful reason to celebrate! Congratulation to all of our 5 year celebrants, their loved ones and caregivers! I'm so honored to share in your historic day!
It's great to celebrate the journey of over eighty celebrants this year! I was given the privilege of contacting and interviewing a few of the Celebrants. I had so much fun getting to know them and their heart to survive!
This celebration is wonderful so far!! You are treated like royalty...Everyone is so uplifting and positive looking great and healthy, I remember when that was not so....Just believe!!!! we can
What a joy, what a delight to share with my wife, a cancer survivor this happy celelbration!
I am so pleased to be a part of this celebration! I congratulate each and every one of you. You have fought the hard fight and won! YAHOO!! Best wishes on the rest of your lives. Know that the love and caring of the CTCA staff follows you every day.
I am honored to be part of this beautiful celebration! It is joyful for me to have been part of the beginning of your journey at CTCA. As a Nurse Navigator, and having been on this journey myself, I feel your joy.
I am so happy to be here. To be with others who have been on this journey and to be able to say LIFE IS GOOD!!!
The whole celebration has had a feeling of hope and triumph that is hard to describe. It's so wonderful to see all the other people who went through similar situations!
This is my 2nd Celebrate Life and it's even better than last year!
We are so happy to be a part of the celebration.What a great hospital.
I am enjoying the celebration of life event. As a 9 year cancer over comer, I relish the chance to celebrate another year,day, and hour of my life.
It was nice to bring my wife to the celebration so she could enjoy talking to friends she had met while getting treatment. She took much joy and hope seeing them again. We drove 700 miles to get here and I'm glad we came.
God has blessed this hospital like no other institution I have ever been in. There is a spiritual feeling throughout. I thank you for the privilege of being part of this feeling of hope and this celebration. God Bless CTCA.
I am really so happy to be here at this celebration. 5 year survivor, looking forward to planting that tree.
This is something that i have talked to so many people about. They where amazed at what CTCA is doing for their cancer patients. Thanks.
We're all so proud to play a small part in your celebration. Have a wonderful weekend celebrating LIFE.
I feel so blessed to be here. I am so grateful to God and the CTCA. The celebration has been wonderful and I am looking forward to the event tomorrow. I will always believe!
Hi everyone having a great time great to be alive Thank for giving me this wonderful chance to be a part of this great event
What a blessing to be a part of such wonderful celebration with such a wonderful group of people. A big thank you to all of CTCA for all they do to help in the journey!
Hi everyone. We are at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at this 5 year celebration. It's great to be alive. Unbelievable! Everyone here is so inspiring!
God is my refuge What a wonderful time I am having I'm meeting several strong survivors Thanks be to God and CTCA!
wow! the celebrate life evening event was beyond wonderful. I loved sharing the special time with so many other survivors and their care givers. Thanks you to the hospital staff for giving me care and hope.
The best 5 years of my life!!!!!!!!!! and many more. Love from Michigan, Bob Finn
Thank you to CTCA for saving our Mom's life! She had Stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma and CTCA has given her 5 years and with God's grace many more! What an awesome thing it is that CTCA does for their patients even after the treatment. God Bless!
What a morning already with a great group of celebrants and their families down at NBC 5!!! DANCE FRIDAY!
wOW THE EVENING DINNER CELEBRATION WAS WONDERFUL.The meal was awesome and I haven't laughed so hard in yrs.The comedian Steve Burton was great and by the way he was a survivor to! He had every understanding possible.
Thank you to CTCA for your wonderful expression of Celebrating Life! It means so much to me and my husband that we are reminded not just to hope for healing but to celebrate all that life has to offer everday. We re DANCING through life!
Thank you so much for helping my mom beat cancer. Every day I thank God for healing her fight and for finding CTCA to fight with her. The Celebrat Life events have been amazing. It's been a privelige to be around so many brave people.
It is an absolute honor to be here today! Congratulations to each and every one of you!
Congratulations to all the celebrants...you are an inspiration to all of the Stakeholders at CTCA and we are grateful to have been part of your journey.
You too can make it 5 years...My husband had stage 4 Renal Cancer.... he is here with me today... Believe and it will happen
Doing great today! five year celebration is an awesome way to celebrate!! My mom is doing great because of CTCA. I recommend this facility as much as I can. Thanks
This is such a wonderful experience today. My mom, Barbara Hanson was diagnosed with Lung Cancer 5 years ago and is still with us today because of the great care she has received from you. This truly is a day of Celebration!!!
Beautiful day, beautiful people. I am so excited for the celebration!
To all caretakers, Always live for the moment and celebrate every little moment as if it is the biggest celebration in life. We will never have another chance to relive those moments again. For we two have Cancer cause our love ones have it. Claire
Congratulations to all of our Celebrants and their loved ones! You deserve this day. Enjoy!
What a beautiful day for such a special celebration. Congratulations to every cancer survivor - as Reverend Percy said this morning: "Thank God for the good news that the bad news was wrong!" Keep celebrating every moment!
Congratulations Celebrants!
An amazing testament to all the patients who have decided not to let cancer become their identity and to the caregivers who have managed to come through with a sense of humor intact.
What a glorious day and what an amazing honor to be here with all of these courageous heroes! Live strong and God bless you!
Thank you survivors for inspiring us and motivating us each and every day. Congratulations on your courageous battle and for teaching us to live life to the fullest.
What a great celebration! Thank you for everyone's hard work in putting it together!
What a terrific place with wonderful doctors! The Celebration is really great! thanks for every thing you have done for me and my family! You Rock!
Here we are at our wonder filled center of healing and faith - CTCA in Zion, IL. This hospital changes cancer from a trip to the grave to a life improving experience as we come to view life from a different point of view. It gives new meaning.
Wheat blessed event! & this is truly wonderful for all you are doing here for us folks that were given a 'bad" prognosis 5 years ago, but thank GOD, you cared about me, encouraged me & my wife a& then we went to work! praise God, it does Work!
I just want to thank all the survivors because the success of this facility begins with you. I have been so blessed to lend a helping hand to each and every one of you through your healing process and when I am assisting you, my life cant be better!
What a great day. Survivors celebrate and patients going through treatment can see that there is hope. I am 4 years cancer free and looking forward to next year's Celebrate Life. Thank God for CTCA.
Stay encouraged. Never give up hope and continue to BELIEVE!
Great day for a celebration.
What a great day! So full of hope and blessings. My 5 years will not be until 2014. So thankful that God lead me 3 blocks from my home to CTCA!
Hello, from one survivor to another. This is a wonderful experience. The people are so.. caring and giving. I am glad to be a part of this celebration of survivor-ship.
Congratulations to all our celebrants this year! You did it! We're all so proud of you! To all the amazing Caregivers, your love and endless support means SO much too - congrats on a job well done! God Bless You! Happiness always!
Just returned from Hope Rounds...what an exchange of emotions and inspiration between our Celebrants and patients in the fight.
Thank you to CTCA for all you have done for me from curing my cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) five years ago this month and finding that I have a broken hip a month ago! God Bless all the doctors, nurses and staff for your care and love.
Keeping you all wrapped in my thankful prayers. Wishing I was there celebrating my 5 years with you. I have looked forward to this for so long. We all know life changes on a dime. This time the change was good, except not being able to be there.
Congratulations, to all the 5 year survivors. I have been coming to CTCA for 6 months. I know I will be attending a 5 year celebration. The staff, treatment and care is excellent.
I am thankful to the doctors and staff at CTCA in Zion for giving me 5 more years with my mother.
Celebrating Life means formally celebrating the mere fact that by the grace of God, I am still here! I thank him daily and have faith that I will be here for yrs to come and to celebrate with others who are going through there season of healing.
Wish It. Dream It Do IT
if i have no choice rather to have cancer. i have a choice where i want to be treated and i choose to be treated at ctca. its been a wonderful experience.
Congratulations to all the celebrants on 5 years. Especially to my mom Diane Cankar who is an inspiration to all her family and those around her. Thank you to CTCA for having a place that has given our family our Mom, Wife and Nana a chance at life
Thank you so much for all you have done to heal my mother of cancer so that my children, nephews, niece's, siblings, dad and I can celebrate life with her every day. Thank you also for this wonderful celebration of five years cancer free.
Here’s to you, Celebrants! May you have a lifetime ahead full of happiness, great health, & an endless supply of love. Continue to carry hope in your hearts and bless this world with love, compassion, strength, grace, & wit. God bless & congrats!
I have a very enjoyable time celebrating with my friend Debra on her five years of being free and healthy. thanks for inviting me.
This is a very special cause, occasion, event and celebration that everyone should be a part of if your affected or know someone who is. thank you for the experience.
Wow our name was drawn to go to Chicago and be on NBC morning show Dance...what a great opportunity to have fun and celebrate...We met and took pictures with some of the anchors who did come back to our bust congratulate us. What a honor!
It means that no one person can put an expiration date on me. The only one that can do that is God. I love this place and everyone who is here. Praise God and all the glory be given to Him. It means that I was able to watch my son become a teenager..
Thank you CTCA and Dr. Redei for giving my mother the chance to fight her cancer. At the age of 72, no one else would consider options for her. She has her life back and is thriving!We thank God for you!
I'm so excited and honored to be a guest at this very special event. Congrats and thank you to all of the celebrants, participants, and hosts. CTCA is incredible thanks to all of you!
WOW. I look forward to the day that I can celebrate my 5 years. This is so fantastic that CTCA does this for the survivors.
It's a great day here at Zion! Congratulations to all the celebrants! We are glad you are here!
Congratulations to all of the survivors! Enjoy this celebration...you deserve it!
Congratulations to all! This is a wonderful celebration - Im delighted to share this wonderful day with you all. God Bless...
Celebrating so many joys today. I love being a part of this. Meeting so many people from CTCA that have made the healing easier . And much love to my hubby Peter for sticking by me every inch of the way. BLESS YOU ALL.... and.believe...
I feel so blessed! The tree planting ceremony, releasing of the doves, the atmosphere, thanking God and CTCA was amazing and quite spiritual. I also got to take part in Hope rounds to talk with people going through treatment give them hope to make it
Wow! What a great day! Congrats to our celebrants!
meeting and talking with wonderful,warm, and passionate cancer survivors and sharing the stories of their journey through healing and hope.
Celebrate Life!!!! Congratulations to ALL of YOU!!!!
CTCA, I have one thing to say...thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my dads life!
i would like to take a moment to tell everyone at the cancer treatment centers of america that you ALL share a special place in my heart!! you saved my mamas life!! you gave her the chance to live again and no words can describe how greatful i am!
I am sorry I was not able to attend the celebration this year. I look forward to next year's celebration Iwill be a five year celebrant.
The ceromony was wonderful.... Any body know were we get the Pictures taken at the Dinner and purchase vidoes. qtypie@knology.net
i am looking ahead to my 5 yr celebration.!!! i am in yr one so far...this is great i just found out here on this site.
We're getting ready to Celebrate Life with our 5 year survivors!
Celebrate Life 2010 for CTCA at Midwestern has officially kicked off! Celebrants are registering for the event at the Radisson Hotel in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Tonight’s festivities include a welcome reception and dinner, as well as entertainment by cancer survivor and comedian Scott Burton.
There’s bright green and blue gift bags lined along a long table for Celebrants. Each bag is brimming with goodies, including a commemorative journal, beautiful blanket, planter with seedlings, and a special polo shirt to wear for tomorrow’s big day!
CTCA stakeholders are welcoming Celebrants to tonight’s reception. Celebrants are signing a huge, brightly colored banner that will be on display at tomorrow’s ceremony. They are also blogging their thoughts about what it means to celebrate this milestone on four, mini-laptops (netbooks). The netbooks will be raffled off tomorrow.
The Radisson’s giant ballroom is abuzz with our five-year cancer survivors and their loved ones talking and laughing. Many are reuniting and catching up, remembering experiences they shared at CTCA at Midwestern. Others are meeting for the first time, building new friendships.
Celebrants and their caregivers are sitting at elegantly decorated tables inside the ballroom. There’s a delicate glow from each table’s tea candles.
The conversations are non-stop and there’s smiling faces at every table. There’s a sense of excitement and anticipation for tonight and tomorrow’s festivities.
Celebrants and their loved ones are also taking professional pictures during the reception. They’ll be able to hold onto these as keepsakes, along with photos they’ll take tomorrow during the ceremonial tree planting.
The dinner/reception has begun! Roger Cary, Chief Operating Officer of CTCA, is revving up the crowd. He says, “Tonight we get to honor your incredible and amazing journey!”
Roger adds, “This is a room full of hope, a room full of victors, a room full of people who fought the good fight and won!”
Roger is talking about the significance of Hope Rounds, which allows Celebrants to meet with and inspire patients currently receiving treatment.
Roger’s asking all of the caregivers to stand for a round of applause. Next, Rev. Percy McCray, Jr. is providing a special prayer before dinner.
Rev. McCray proclaims, “The best is still yet to come in your lives... Raise your voice and say, ‘Amen, amen, God bless us each.’”
Guests are now dining on delectable chardonnay chicken, tilapia, roasted potatoes, carrots, and wild rice.
Celebrants, caregivers and CTCA stakeholders are thoroughly enjoying the delicious dinner. Conversation and laughter continues to fill the room as everyone finishes their meals.
Comedian Scott Burton is now taking the stage! Scott's a 15-year cancer survivor.
At the age of 30, Scott was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Today he performs at comedy clubs and corporate events across the country. He’s worked with Jay Leno and written for primetime TV.
The audience is in stitches as Scott jokes about his own cancer diagnosis and experiences. He kids about finding “a new bone for his leg on eBay.”
Scott’s personal stories about cancer are genuine, touching and funny. The audience is captivated.
Scott emphasizes, “There is always simple, gentle, profound humor in our everyday lives.” He’s sharing humorous stories about his family and past conferences he’s appeared at.
He jokes, “I never want to go to a hospital called ‘Memorial.’ Take me to ‘Mercy’ instead!”
He jokes that when you’re on chemo, “you’re not just bald…you’re hairless. You’re pretty much ready for the swim team!”
Now Scott’s talking about his other passion in life—juggling. He’s showing off his juggling skills, wowing the crowd as he tosses the pins high above his head and between his legs.
The juggling master just concluded his act, encouraging the audience to live life to its fullest. “Be thankful, and spread the thankfulness on,” he added.
Good morning, Celebrants, caregivers & CTCA stakeholders! The long awaited day is finally here! The CTCA team is making final preparations, readying the stage and banquet tent for today’s Celebrate Life 2010 at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center.
Celebrants and their loved ones are feasting on a scrumptious breakfast at the Radisson Hotel. They’re powering up for the day ahead. Just before 9 a.m., everyone will board a bus that will take them to CTCA at Midwestern in Zion, Illinois.
With the sun peeking out from the clouds, it’s looking like it’s about to be the perfect sunny day. There’s a light breeze and the temperature is warming up. Local weather reports are predicting we’ll reach 86 degrees today.
Crowds are gathering and beginning to sit in a number of rows of chairs set up in the hospital’s parking lot around a tree and a beautifully decorated bird cage. Inside are five gorgeous doves.
Anticipation is building as we wait for the bus of Celebrants to arrive. Festive pop music is playing, including hits by Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, James Taylor and Carly Simon.
The celebrants are here and rev McCray is offering a special prayer.
CTCA CEO Steve Bonner is welcoming the crowd. 10 patients appeared on NBC this morning and Steve is giving a shout out to them.
Steve explained the significance of the ceremonial tree planting to Celebrants. He also talked about how the CTCA logo stands in many ways for our patients. He said the tree in the logo stands tall against the challenges of nature, just as our patients stand tall and endure throughout their fight against cancer.
Cancer survivors Roger Stump and Sherrill Natzke opened the bird cage and set free the five, beautiful white doves.
The entire group of Celebrants gathered around the ceremony’s tree and posed for pictures. Now, survivors are having their photos taken with family members.
Hope Rounds have begun and all of the Celebrants are inside the hospital meeting with patients currently undergoing treatment. They’re offering inspiration, hugs, hope, and special pins.
Celebrants are taking turns posing by the ceremony's tree for pictures with their families.
Celebrants have been making their way through the hospital to visit with doctors, nurses and other clinicians who cared for them as they underwent cancer treatment at CTCA. They’re bringing yellow roses and hugs to all of the care providers who have meant so much to them through these last five years.
Celebrants and their families have journeyed from all over the country to attend Celebrate Life. Texas, Idaho, Michigan, Tennessee, Connecticut, Florida, and South Carolina are home to some of the many Celebrants here today.
CTCA stakeholders, Celebrants and their loved ones are chatting away on this absolutely breathtakingly beautiful day. The sun is shining, music is playing and there’s a smile on everyone’s face.
The banquet tent is full of Celebrants and guests. Everyone is just about to head over to the amazing food buffet in the neighboring tent, which has been prepared by Director of Food Services Judith Hallisey and her talented team of food service professionals.
The mouthwatering spread of food Celebrants and guests are choosing from includes an array of exotic fruits, fresh veggies galore, BBQ steak salad with Kefir lime dressing, and bruschetta with tomato, mango and red quinoa caviar. Several yards of tables elegantly decorated also hold platters of BBQ fresh salmon with fruit salsa, mini shrimp cocktails with sonora red sauce, Greek cucumber salad, organic white asparagus salad, grilled rosemary and lemon kabobs, and Southwestern stuffed squash with rice, tomatoes and Queso Fresco.
The main attraction on the menu is the Carolina pulled pork sliders with sweet Georgia slaw. Guests are piling their plates high with these yummy sandwiches and spoonfuls of all the delicious dishes.
On each table in the banquet tent, there are lovely centerpieces featuring green apples and white flowers. Cupcakes decorated with light green icing and candy flower petals are at each table setting, waiting to be enjoyed by guests.
The CTCA color guard has marched in and is now singing the “National Anthem.”
Rev. Percy McCray, Jr. has now taken the stage and is welcoming the crowd. He’s about to offer the opening prayer.
“For with God, all things are possible…,” Rev. McCray praises. He says, “We want to open with a word of prayer because it’s your beliefs that created a possibility of health, healing and life….all things are possible.”
CTCA Marketing Specialist Julie Gore is now acknowledging all of our five-year survivors and honorary pins are being passed out to them.
The audience just watched clips from this morning’ s NBC 5 local newscast, featuring several of our Celebrants dancing and indeed celebrating life.
All day Celebrants and CTCA stakeholders have been sharing their thoughts on what this day means to them right on this website. Four netbooks are available for each person to come by and enter their thoughts on (like mini-blogs). They can then fill out an entry card for a chance to win one of the netbooks. The netbooks will be raffled off at the end of today’s ceremony.
The ceremony has officially started and everyone’s watching a fun-spirited video featuring stakeholders who work in departments throughout the hospital.
Anne Meisner, President and CEO of CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, has taken the stage and is getting the crowd on its feet to party down to our own “Dance Friday!” Everyone is clapping, dancing and singing to “I Say a Little Prayer.”
Anne is acknowledging the hospital board, the Stephenson family, and all stakeholders. She’s also asking for a round of applause for Elsie Nelson, a 33-year survivor, who is attending today.
Anne is explaining the significance of the Tree of Life in the hospital’s lobby. Five-year survivors' names are inscribed on golden leaves on the Tree of Life. “This is the year we passed our 1,000th name on the tree!,” says Anne.
Anne commended Ray Zuckley, a 35-year volunteer at Midwestern who is also a five-year survivor who has his own gold leaf on the Tree of Life.
CTCA Founder and Chairman Richard J Stephenson took the stage moments ago to welcome Celebrants. He is now talking about the commitment CTCA makes to bring the most advanced and latest treatments to patients as quickly as possible.
Mr. Stephenson is talking about some of the latest medical breakthroughs available at CTCA, including Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion and an ovarian vaccine clinical trial. He’s also talking about the benefits of unique chemotherapy delivery methods such as metronomic chemotherapy.
Mr. Stephenson is acknowledging teams across the CTCA organization for their commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients. He’s also introducing Patient Empowered Care, the integrated, patient-focused treatment model we’re launching at CTCA.
Mr. Stephenson says, "You found that we respect you and are committed to what you believe." He stresses, "…because it is and is always about the patient." "We remain committed to doing everything possible to help you fight cancer," adds Mr. Stephenson. "It’s what we call Care that Never Quits."
Mr. Stephenson is calling for a round of applause for all of our Celebrants’ caregivers.
Mr. Stephenson is now talking about a highly innovative stem cell transplant Dr. Istvan Redei is offering at the hospital. He’s also praising and sharing the stories of some of our Celebrants, including Henry Lucero and Nancy Butler.
Mr. Stephenson is talking about radiation oncologist Dr. Bernard Eden and how he’s helping patients with the latest tools to provide extremely targeted radiation therapy, including Calypso® and Stereotactic Radiosurgery.
Mr. Stephenson just concluded his speech, telling Celebrants, “You’re the reason we believe cancer can be beat!”
The audience is now watching an uplifting video featuring some of the Celebrants we are honoring today. Everyone is clearly moved by their personal stories.
We're now calling our Celebrants to the stage to honor them... Just honored were: Velma Barrett, Alan Farfard, Gwendolyn DuBose, Sheila Anne Jargowski, Diane Butler Hughes, Willie Miller, Linda Marshall, Gerald Urffer, Elsie Nelson, Clinton Willis, Thomas Ionescu, Nancy Butler, Cythia Guertin, Harold Burton, Nancy Eklund, Jerry Soper, Camilla Oliver, Lea Anne Carlton, and Susan Marowski.
Now we're honoring...Sheila Lewis, Winston Glass, Doris Hamlet, Cheryl Coffey, Serranilla, Don Coleman, Dale Smith, Debra Cox, Chris Schlabach, Dale Resinger, Ralph Tripp, David Turner, Marie Mceathron, Diane Cankar, Billie Rase, and Bob Finn!
And cheers to these Celebrants who have been honored on the stage...Janet La Sota, Alice Abram-Juste, Richard Gnarra, Debra Montgomery, Margaret Rizzio, James Wilson, Laura Stricker, Dean Armstrong, Tonya Lance, Roy Schlosser, Michael Saum, Barbara Hanson, Walladene Anderson, Erick Olin, Elmo Shiner, Henry Lucero, Gordon Wendt, Cathy Winters, Celene Wallen, Tammy Kota, Karen Kirschner, Jo Longendyke, and Gwendolyn Hodge.
And now the CTCA choir is serenading Celebrants with a beautiful song about the power of believing.
All the winners of the netbooks have just been announced and Rev. McCray has called a close to today’s event.
What a wonderful day! Celebrate Life 2010 at CTCA at Midwestern has just wrapped up. Congratulations to all of our Celebrants! Safe travels home. We wish you the best of health and all of the happiness, love and peace in the world. God bless!
Richard Stephenson closes up his speech with an inspirational quote.
A video from the stakeholders saying they "Believe" in their patients.
Anne is talking to the Celebrants about the tree with each of their names engraved on it for being 5-year survivors.
Stakeholders sing the National Anthem for Celebrants to open the ceremony.
NBC 5 News of Chicago featured Celebrate Life 2010 on this morning's news.
Time to eat before the ceremony starts.
A CTCA chef is grilling some great food to go with a great event!
Checking out the food spread here at the celebration buffet table
A 5-year survivor pointing at his name on CTCA's tree of life
The Pet Therapy dog is having a good time Celebrating Life.
The founder and owner of CTCA is posing for a funny photo with the celebrants
Every year, doves are released at the Celebrate Life celebration as a symbol of hope.
At the end of the tree planting ceremony, they release doves from the cages to fly away, free as a bird!
Scott Burton, a comedian and an entertainer, talks about his journey with cancer.
Buffet line at the dinner
Roger Cary talking about tree planting
Rev. Percy McCray talks about Celebrate Life
Congratulations to all celebrants!
Things are really picking up!
Celebrants are arriving
Celebrants are signing the banner
Julie Martin describes her excitement about the upcoming Celebrate Life 2010!