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GIVINGBACK
HUGS THAT HELP BY DAVID MOORE
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ARK AND SHARON JANK AND THEIR DAUGHTER, MOLLY, ARE HAPPY TO BE THE HONOREES AT THIS YEAR’S COMMUNITY HUG EVENT BY HUGS CHARITIES OF OCALA, INC. THE HUGS ORGANIZATION ENCOURAGES HEARTFELT UNCONDITIONAL GIVING TO BENEFIT CANCER PATIENTS AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER THROUGH THE CREATION AND SUPPORT OF ITS COMMUNITY CANCER ALLIANCE.
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APR’15 ocalastyle.com
Apr
30
Because all three are cancer survivors, they like the fact that they’ll be helping raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer through this annual event, set for 6:30-8:30pm April 30 at Gateway Bank in Ocala. Michael Koontz, founding member of HUGS, said the organization is so proud to be honoring the Jank family this year. “Each has had cancer and is now, more than ever, an effective advocate for the prevention of cancer: Molly, by encouraging healthy lifestyle changes; Sharon, as president of Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research; and Mark, through educating others on the importance of early detection,” Koontz said. “Each successfully uses his or her personal cancer experiences to benefit others and is a great example for all of us.” Each of the Janks had a different type of cancer. Mark was diagnosed with oral cancer in 1998 and is going on 17 cancer-free years thanks to successful surgery and radiation treatments. Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, and after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she too is cancer-free. The family was excited at the beginning of 2014 to put cancer behind them. But in February that year, Molly was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. It was continuous pain in her leg that caused the family to seek medical attention. Molly was treated intermittently as an inpatient for nine months at Shands in Gainesville. October 2014 marked the end of her treatment. As any parent can imagine, Molly’s initial diagnosis was traumatic for her parents. “We were devastated,” Sharon said. “Mark cried. We both did. And then we told ourselves that we had to be strong for Molly. We had to get through this together.” But Molly surprised them with her strength and positive outlook. “Because she had accompanied me on all my doctor visits and driven me to treatments, she knew what to expect,” Sharon said. “She said ‘I know how this goes. I just saw my mom go through it. I’ve got this.’” In addition to helping with this year’s HUGS cancer-fighting, fund-raising event, both Molly and Sharon are taking part in research projects that they hope will help future cancer patients. Molly, who graduated high school with crutches and a wig, is now 19 and planning to attend college this fall in California. She’s currently taking an online class and working parttime at Ocala Eye, where her father is an ophthalmologist. Something that helped the Janks through this ordeal was to focus on the future. “We would talk about a trip we were going to take or talk about Molly going to college,” Sharon said. “It helps you mentally. It helps you heal, and it helps you stay strong.”
COMMUNITY HUG EVENT HONORING MARK, SHARON AND MOLLY JANK 6:30-8:30pm / Gateway Bank of Ocala Includes hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, live entertainment and an auction. Tickets are $50. Call (352) 622-3241 to purchase tickets.