Chemotherapy

The staff at Potomac Heights Elementary School is observing casual Fridays, with all proceeds being donated to the Lymphoma Society in support of a fellow staff member. Each $1 donation is in honor of Heather Shaw, who has been undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The staff designated Sept. 8 as "Heather In Your Cap Day" in support of Shaw's chemotherapy. All staff members wore hats and were treated to ice cream sundaes at the end of the day.

Teacher Deborah Jackson and her first-grade students at Heritage Academy collected pop bottle caps to help raise money for a young girl who needs chemotherapy. 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Arlen Specter ignited a new round of speculation about his health when he remarked that his eyes and nose were running as a side effect of chemotherapy. A spokeswoman quickly said Specter has not suffered a recurrence of cancer or undergone the treatment in more than a year. The 79-year-old senator, who switched earlier this year from Republican to Democrat and is up for what's expected to be a tough re-election fight, made the comment Tuesday during the Judiciary Committee's deliberations on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

GAPLAND - Susannah Willems is the picture of health. She has a full head of wavy blond hair and is, her mom says, at almost 4 feet, 8 inches, the tallest student in the third grade at Pleasant Valley Elementary School. "It's amazing. Thank God. If you look at her, you'd never know all she's been through," her mother Christina Willems said. Until a year and a half ago, Susannah was battling for her life. The enemy was the acute lymphoblast leukemia, diagnosed in 2001. The cancer attacked her bone marrow, leaving her unable to fight infection.

Healing circle FREDERICK, Md. - A healing circle meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at Unity Church in Frederick, 1 W. Ninth St. The healing circle offers reiki and other stress releasing, energy balancing and healing techniques. For information, call 301-846-0868. Series on caring for the aging and ill Taking Care: Helping an Aging or Ill Loved One is a four part series presented from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursdays during April.

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer WILLIAMSPORT - This year has been a particularly tough one for the Williamsport Volunteer Ambulance Service following news that children of two of its members were diagnosed with serious illnesses. Thirteen-year-old Sarah Roseberry, daughter of volunteer Teresa Roseberry, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in September. Six-year-old Jacob Wentz, son of medic George Wentz, was diagnosed with leukemia in late October, officials said.

Sarah Elaine Chandlee Smith, lovingly called Sue, of Hagerstown died Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, at Fairfax INOVA Hospital, Fairfax, Va., after a three-and-a-half-year courageous battle against lung cancer and several bouts of pneumonia. Her true grit was unshakeable during many rounds of chemotherapy and radiation; she never wavered. She also participated in a chemotherapy drug trial to help others who  struggle with lung cancer. Born in Hagerstown on Nov. 27, 1930, she was the daughter of educator Elmer K. Chandlee and his wife, Julia Newman, and granddaughter of the mayor of Smithsburg, Md., and owner of Newman Auto Company, Hoy Newman and his wife, Sudie.

All Chessie Fox has ever wanted, her mother says, is to go to Disneyland and to meet her idol, country music singer Reba McEntire. Those don't sound like impossible dreams, but for Chessie, making either come true will require more help than her family can provide. That's because the 25-year-old Hagerstown woman has been battling Hodgkins disease for four years. The disease, a form of cancer that begins in the body's lymph nodes, has forced her to undergo repeated treatments that caused her hair to fall out and many of her teeth as well.

Lindsay Pinieski said she was devastated a little more than a year ago when her husband, Zack, was diagnosed with cancer. But things started to look brighter after chemotherapy treatments drove the disease into remission. The Hagerstown family's fortunes changed again on July 1, when Zack lost his job as an aircraft modifier at Sierra Nevada. The Pinieskis were hit even harder a few days later when their youngest daughter, 2-year-old Allison, got sick during a family trip to Port Discovery in Baltimore.

By far, the most inspirational book I've ever read is "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" by four-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. Armstrong overcame a virulent form of testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain before unleashing the same resiliency and zest on the French Alps. His yellow jersey is as much about living and breathing as it is being king of the cycling world. Zach Tanner, 17, of Waynesboro, is currently reading the book.

Some of the most lasting friendships are those forged through the tumultuous high school years, but as Pat Simons learned, some of those bonds can grow even stronger when tested by a life-altering event. On Oct. 24, 2011, the day started off on a positive note for the 58-year-old Hagerstown resident. Simons was gearing up to celebrate his granddaughter's birthday, but shortly after arriving at the birthday celebration, his life started to take a dramatic turn. Simons' daughter-in-law, Angie, who is also a registered nurse, was very concerned about her father-in-law's appearance that night.

Sarah Elaine Chandlee Smith, lovingly called Sue, of Hagerstown died Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, at Fairfax INOVA Hospital, Fairfax, Va., after a three-and-a-half-year courageous battle against lung cancer and several bouts of pneumonia. Her true grit was unshakeable during many rounds of chemotherapy and radiation; she never wavered. She also participated in a chemotherapy drug trial to help others who  struggle with lung cancer. Born in Hagerstown on Nov. 27, 1930, she was the daughter of educator Elmer K. Chandlee and his wife, Julia Newman, and granddaughter of the mayor of Smithsburg, Md., and owner of Newman Auto Company, Hoy Newman and his wife, Sudie.

Lindsay Pinieski said she was devastated a little more than a year ago when her husband, Zack, was diagnosed with cancer. But things started to look brighter after chemotherapy treatments drove the disease into remission. The Hagerstown family's fortunes changed again on July 1, when Zack lost his job as an aircraft modifier at Sierra Nevada. The Pinieskis were hit even harder a few days later when their youngest daughter, 2-year-old Allison, got sick during a family trip to Port Discovery in Baltimore.

Teacher Deborah Jackson and her first-grade students at Heritage Academy collected pop bottle caps to help raise money for a young girl who needs chemotherapy. 

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- At a Waynesboro Area Senior High School soccer game on Thursday, it wasn't about the score or the players' athletic prowess. The focus was a 15-year-old boy not at the game because he was receiving chemotherapy at Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center. Ethan Barnhart's classmates organized the faculty vs. student soccer game in tribute to his fight against Ewing's Sarcoma. Nine hundred students paid $1 each to watch the game during an advisory period. Barnhart's family selected the American Cancer Society and Four Diamonds Fund as recipients of the money raised.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Arlen Specter ignited a new round of speculation about his health when he remarked that his eyes and nose were running as a side effect of chemotherapy. A spokeswoman quickly said Specter has not suffered a recurrence of cancer or undergone the treatment in more than a year. The 79-year-old senator, who switched earlier this year from Republican to Democrat and is up for what's expected to be a tough re-election fight, made the comment Tuesday during the Judiciary Committee's deliberations on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Healing circle FREDERICK, Md. - A healing circle meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at Unity Church in Frederick, 1 W. Ninth St. The healing circle offers reiki and other stress releasing, energy balancing and healing techniques. For information, call 301-846-0868. Series on caring for the aging and ill Taking Care: Helping an Aging or Ill Loved One is a four part series presented from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursdays during April.

Sometimes, cancer likes to play games. Just ask Shary Iobst. For several years, Iobst was being treated for a cyst in her breast. "I had found a lump, went to my doctor and tests showed that it was a cyst," the local resident says. "I would have it drained, it would fill up, and I would have to have it drained again. " Although she knew the growth was benign, it was still a source of worry. "My mother and my grandmother both had breast cancer," she says, "so that was always in the back of my mind.

GAPLAND - Susannah Willems is the picture of health. She has a full head of wavy blond hair and is, her mom says, at almost 4 feet, 8 inches, the tallest student in the third grade at Pleasant Valley Elementary School. "It's amazing. Thank God. If you look at her, you'd never know all she's been through," her mother Christina Willems said. Until a year and a half ago, Susannah was battling for her life. The enemy was the acute lymphoblast leukemia, diagnosed in 2001. The cancer attacked her bone marrow, leaving her unable to fight infection.

trishr@herald-mail.com BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.VA. - The Shingletons' Berkeley Springs home was in the midst of renovations when the family left for North Carolina, where 10-year-old Adrianna was to be treated for leukemia. When Paul and Lisa Shingleton brought their daughter home four months later, they found that friends and strangers had joined forces to complete the renovation work, and more. "When we left, the kitchen was torn apart - it was in the process of refinishing, and the upstairs was also in renovation," said Lisa Shingleton, Adrianna's mother.