Wings lifted woman during fight for life

Leanne Weber of Many Lakes remembers when she and her husband, Dan, got a letter and a check from Wings, a nonprofit that helps cancer patients with nonmedical expenses.

"We were choked up and we're not criers," she said. "These people didn't know us - but it's like they're our friends."

She called the financial help a ray of sunshine in a year that brought two overwhelming family traumas.

First, Leanne, 51, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2008. Then, between Leanne's chemotherapy and radiation treatments in August, Dan, 52, was struck in a crosswalk by a car in Kalispell, shattering his pelvis plus inflicting multiple other injuries.

Adding to their worries, Dan and Leanne were self-employed, operating a contract FedEx route. Even worse, they had dropped their health insurance a few years earlier due to premium increases.

Leanne recalls frantically trying to get to the hospital to see Dan, then wondering what she should do to save their FedEx business. If packages don't get delivered, they could lose their contract and income.

At the hospital, she found Dan on the telephone with FedEx and the terminal manager as medical personnel prepared to fly him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

"He was lying there in excruciating pain organizing all this," she said.

Barely recovered from chemo, Leanne felt terrible that she couldn't be with him for his surgery since she had to start radiation treatments in September. She said he felt just as bad that he couldn't be by her side.

But they found a silver lining when he was released after a month in Harborview. Recuperating together, they buoy each other's spirits as he graduates from walker to cane and she celebrates eyebrows and eyelashes growing back and fuzz emerging on her bald head.

"Honestly, we're just thankful to be alive," she said.

Both she and Dan feel more than grateful for the financial support they never expected to need from Wings. Leanne agreed to share her story, hoping to encourage the public to support the group's annual Wings radiothon Thursday and Friday.

Ironically, her journey began on Valentine's Day. Leanne went for a mammogram screening after noticing dimpling on her right breast near a cyst that her doctor had been monitoring.

"I had read that dimpling was a problem," she said.

A needle biopsy confirmed breast cancer.

According to Leanne, she was devastated but not completely surprised. Several of her relatives on her father's side - including her grandmother, a couple of aunts, an uncle and her brother - had bouts with cancer.

"The first week I felt devastated," she admitted. "But after that I decided, you know what, it's in God's hands - I'm going to fight and feel positive. From the very beginning, I felt like I was going to survive."

On March 10, Leanne went to Spokane where a surgeon performed a lumpectomy and removed five lymph nodes. Kalispell oncologist Dr. William Boehme provided her chemotherapy treatments, which began in April.

Leanne said some fellow patients sailed through chemo but her series of six treatments, spaced three weeks apart, proved grueling.

"Of course, the hair went," she said with a laugh. "As my dad always says - you don't have room for hair and brains."

Leanne said Boehme and his staff made her feel like a member of their family, lessening the stress of severe side effects. She felt the same way about the staff at the Cancer Center at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where she took 35 radiation treatments in September and October.

"The people there were so wonderful," she said. "I looked forward to seeing them - they give lots of hugs and support."

The staff at the Cancer Center introduced Leanne to the Wings program. It was welcome news after Dan's accident.

Prior to getting hurt, he was handling the medical bills piling up from Leanne's treatment. But then he had to hire employees to cover all the FedEx driving as he recovered from pelvis, ankle, knee and head injuries.

At the same time, increasing gas prices placed more strain on their multiple trips from Many Lakes for medical treatments. The check from Wings to cover Leanne's transportation expenses provided both a financial and spiritual boost.

"These people knew what we were going through," Leanne said. "You don't expect people to reach out a helping hand. These strangers were so kind. You don't see that much these days."

The 13th annual radiothon fundraiser for Wings is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.

Wings is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides support to cancer victims.

The fundraiser will be broadcast on all Bee Broadcasting radio stations, originating from the Sportsman and Ski Haus store at Hutton Ranch Plaza.

Send donations to:

Wings

P.O. Box 7852

Kalispell, MT 59904

Call 257-9464 for more information

This event raises money for cancer victims' out-of-pocket expenses not covered by medical insurance, such as transportation, lodging and meals.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.