During his remarks, Hartsell said, “Every day I have to look at the scar on my neck.” He said, “I don’t want to ever have to sit on the bedside of one of my loved ones with cancer.”
Hartsell is a Marine on active duty. Although he is headquartered in Indianap-olis, he spends the majority of his time driving throughout the state with other Marine Corps recruiters.
Hartsell said when he looks at his older two children, ages 9 and 4, and in the face of 18-month-old who was born after his medical procedures, he is reminded of his victory (over cancer). He said they were told that they probably couldn’t have more children after his cancer treatments.
The entire audience broke into applause when they heard Hartsell say he and his wife are expecting another baby in the fall.
Hartsell said, “In a country that buys a cup of coffee at $5 and makes a jellybean that tastes like popcorn, I think we can find a cure.”
Event Chair Beck Mear said, “This year, it is estimated that 240 people in Marshall County will hear ‘you have cancer’.”
Mear said the first lap of the walk would be made by those wearing purple shirts. They were all survivors of cancer. Mear said, “They are ‘heroes of hope’.”
Cutting the opening ribbon were sisters Judy Newberg and Joan Hundt. Hundt learned that she had breast cancer in February of this year. She has endured surgery and is now receiving chemotherapy treatments. She is a nurse at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Her sister, Judy, was to hear the same diagnosis on April 28.
Newberg, who teaches at Washington Elementary School, had surgery only last week. She has medical appointments in the near future where she will learn of what treatments she will be given.
Ironically, both sisters have been participants in the walk since the annual event was started in Plymouth.
As she hugged her sister, Newberg said, “We have vowed to go through this together.”