I met Charlene when I myself was being treated at the cancer treatment facility for breast cancer. Charlene’s treatment was very similar to mine, and we met during my first radiation treatment. She was sitting next to me with a sweet smile on her face and a very easy manner while I was terrified. We engaged in a conversation, and I asked her why she seemed to be so at peace and happy. She said that she was married to a wonderful man and that she had the love and support of her fourteen children. Nine of the children were hers and five were her brother’s children. Her brother and his wife were killed in a plane crash in Chandler, AZ in 1982. We became very close friends after that, and Charlene and I spoke every morning on the telephone during our treatments. Her positive and cheerful personality got me through the chemotherapy and radiation. She and her husband Mel, who is an anesthesiologist, took me into their group of friends and gave me acceptance and love. Charlene is an inspiration to anyone who knows her. Charlene helped me through a very difficult time in my life.

Signed,
Eve Linton