Marilyn W-B: A Superhero

I have been struggling with writing this entry. This hero is someone near and dear to my heart, who is valiantly fighting cancer.

We call her “Marilyn W-B”, because we have a couple of Marilyn’s here. She is a tiny package of a woman standing less than five feet tall, but she is a giant in our eyes. She has the brightest blue eyes that sparkle when she smiles.

Marilyn W-B first came here to volunteer as ordered by her doctor – an orthopedic surgeon, who was the first Medical Director of the clinic. He told her it was what she needed. More importantly, it was what we needed. Marilyn is a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Counselor. She brought so many gifts to the clinic – we always need nurses, and she is an excellent nurse. As time went on she saw so many needs and did her best to fill the voids. She began by offering a Depression Support Group to any who would participate. Some nights she had several people; more often she did one-on-one counseling with a hurting soul. She touched so many people with her huge heart.

She had been battling metastatic breast cancer for several years when she first came here to volunteer. But it wasn’t until she had cardiac issues that she decided the time had come to stop smoking. It was a difficult journey for her, but she finally succeeded. We all celebrated with her. About a year after she won her battle with smoking, she decided to offer a Smoking Cessation class for the patients here at the clinic. She worked with multiple small groups over the years, and we have many former smokers thanks to her efforts. We also have a legacy of finding ways to help people, and now have another volunteer who has become certified to facilitate a Smoking Cessation class.

Through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgeries and medical tests of all sorts, Marilyn continued to volunteer; to volunteer, and to touch people’s lives. She didn’t just touch the lives of the patients she worked with; she touched all of our lives. She was always ready to listen, to celebrate the good times, and to cry with us in the tough times. I have a note from her that I will always cherish – after having shared with her some difficulties I was experiencing, she wrote me a note reaffirming who I am, and the work I am doing. It meant the world to me during that difficult time.

She became a close friend, colleague, mentor, and supporter. And, so I struggle as I see her dying. I have told her how much she means to me; I am not sure I can tell her that often enough. She has touched my life so deeply.

The dictionary defines a hero as:

1. remarkably brave person: somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character
2. somebody admired: somebody who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements

I think of Marilyn as a “superhero”, but the dictionary defines that as a fictional character – Marilyn is as real as it is possible to be. But, she is a superhero in my book.

I love you Marilyn! Thanks for all you have been to me in my life. I will never forget you.

May 20, 2013. Marilyn lost her battle with cancer this morning.

Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with your saints,
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.                                                                                                               

Book of Common Prayer