MORGANTOWN – As dusk darkened the Thursday sky, and raindrops sprinkled down, a procession of cancer survivors, their families, supporters and caregivers carried paper lanterns of white, red and gold, and made their way from Puskar Stadium to WVU Medicine Children’s, Ruby Memorial Hospital and back to the stadium.
It was Light the Night, put on by WVUMC and WVU Cancer Institute, in partnership with Blood Cancer United – the brand-new name for what was known as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The evening’s ceremony celebrated and honored patients, their families, and the medical teams, while also remembering those who have passed away. Survivors carried white lanterns, supporters carried red lanterns, and some carried gold lanterns meant to honor lost loved ones.
Before the procession, at a gathering in the stadium’s Touchdown Terrace, survivors and physicians shared some words of hope.
Master of Ceremonies Hoppy Kercheval noted that Blood Cancer United grew from humble beginnings in 1949 to what it is today: an organization that supports $1.7 billion in research, with 27 regional offices across the U.S. and Canada, and 30,000 volunteers.
Dr. Ashkan Emadi, chairman of the Cancer Institute’s Department of Medical Oncology, said, “We can and we must do more to defeat cancer. This isn’t just a professional interest, it’s a personal mission for me, too.”
He’s inspired, he said, but the patients and their families. “Their battles, their resilience and sometimes their losses have touched me profoundly. I carry those patients’ stories with me as a reminder of why we do this work. … This event reminds us that we all unite – doctors, patients, families and community members – in one fight.”
Cancer survivor Art Henry told the crowd that 5 ½ years ago he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He gave repeated praise to oncology professor Dr. Lauren Veltri.
“Dr. Veltri saved my life,” he said. “I wasn’t supposed to live this long. But thanks to her, I have.”
But his own personal drive also played a role. He’s continued his job of 49 years. “I don’t quit. I keep on working. … I believe if you quit, you die.”
Cancer survivor Micah Summey, of Berkeley County, will be a high school freshman in October, and shared how WVUMC staff helped him keep his humor and good spirits through his journey.
“This has been a difficult but also a positive journey,” he said. The staff were positive and encouraged him to be positive. “The last thing you want to do is be negative and sulk. … I was cracking terrible jokes every five minutes.”
The biggest positive, he said, is the people he’s met along the way.
Micah’s dad, Robert Summey, said, “The people here at this hospital are amazing.”
He shared how staff used humor to keep up Micah’s spirits. One day, in the intensive care unit, they asked him, “’You did all this not to have to take finals at school?’ And he said, “It’s worth it.”
“It’s a horrible scary thing but the people here made it better,” Summey said.
Two other providers shared what inspires them.
Dr. Pat Tomboc is division chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at WVUMC.
“Each lantern carries a story,” he said. “And together they light a path of courage, hope and love. … I have the privilege of walking alongside children and their families through some of the most difficult journeys any of us have ever imagined.”
Inspiration is a two-way street for him. “What inspires me every single day is the strength, resilience and the spirit of the kids I care for. … Events like Light the Night remind us that no one ever faces cancer alone.”
Veltri said she was 7 when her grandmother died of cancer, just six months after her diagnosis. From that experience, she didn’t want anything to do with oncology, but life had other plans.
She became a doctor, and during her internal medicine training rotation, she helped diagnose and treat a patient with cancer. “That allowed me to see a different side of cancer – the side we all hope for.”
