Cancer giving tree set up for local patients

Published 4:41 am Friday, December 19, 2003

By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Edwardsburg Argus
CASSOPOLIS -- Cancer is a family affair. When a person is told they have cancer, their entire family and friends are also touched.
It was Thanksgiving two years ago when Karly Hayman's sister Kim (Rafferty) Felton was told she had cancer. More than others, she was well aware of what those words means, as she worked for Dr. Lia, an oncologist for Lakeland in St. Joseph.
Fear returned this Thanksgiving, when it was thought the cancer had returned, but fortunately was not rediscovered.
Karly, John's wife, describes herself as a very competitive person, whether she is on the indoor soccer court in South Bend, Ind., or bristled up over a cause.
When Karly heard from her sister about the many patients, including those from Cass County, who couldn't even afford gas to go to their doctor appointments or pay for prescriptions, she rose up and wanted to fight.
Her answer to wanting to help is a Christmas tree full of pink clothespins. She choose pink as it is the color to signify the fight against breast cancer.
The clothespins have been decorated with sparkles and jewels, and the name of the person for which a donation has been made.
Her sister Kim and husband Duane of St. Joseph have two boys, Sam, 12 and Charlie, 7. Kim, who just turned 40, was 38 when she was diagnosed with cancer.