When Anne Rosenthal was first diagnosed with colon cancer in June 2006, her first reaction was not game over; it was `game on!`
Prior to her diagnosis, Rosenthal was a runner in her free time and a math teacher at Shaker High School. In life, according to her friends and family, she was a leader and filled with determination and passion. Her husband, Roger, said she had had the nickname, `Sarge.`
Naturally, Roger said, when Anne learned of her illness, she was determined to beat the Stage 4 cancer doctors said was taking over her colon.
`She wasn’t afraid of the cancer,` said Roger, who described Anne’s willingness to not only stay positive in the face of her own misfortune but encouraged others suffering from cancer to stay positive as well.
According to Anne’s best friend of 22 years, Lorraine Puckey, of Latham, `She had ‘chemo-buddies,’ and they all had Stage 4 colon cancer. She’d say, ‘It can’t kill all of us.’`
Puckey said that throughout Anne’s time in the hospital, she would cling to her faith. Together, the friends would go to church every day and pray for Anne’s recovery.
But after chemotherapy treatment, Anne’s health seemed to take a turn for the worse, and she lost weight and grew weak.
Roger said his wife sought to receive treatment by clinical trials after the chemotherapy had failed to treat her cancer, but doctors said her health was already too far gone and that clinical treatment would no longer help her.
On Oct. 5, 2007, several of Anne’s colleagues from Shaker High School held a healing mass in her honor at St. Pius Church, in Loudonville. Fifteen days later, on Oct. 20, 2007, Anne died in the hospice level at St. Peter’s Hospital, surrounded by her family, who watched her fight the disease until her very last day.
Now, only 11 months later, Anne’s family and friends have come up with a way to not only honor Anne’s legacy, but raise money and awareness for cancer research.
Anne’s Quest Foundation, a foundation established by Anne’s children, Erin, 31, of New Jersey, Kelli, 28, of Atlanta, Ga., and Tim, 24, of Albany, as well as other family members and friends, will be holding its first 5K run on Saturday, Oct. 18, beginning at Shaker High School, to Siena College (where Anne attended college, and met Roger) and ending back at Shaker High School.
`My wife was a runner, so my daughter said it’d be a nice thing to do,` said Roger.
Roger said the proceeds will mostly go to the American Cancer Society, where Kelli works in Atlanta, but that the family is also looking for `something different` to spend the money on, in terms of cancer prevention.
`Colon cancer is the slowest growing cancer,` said Roger. `They tell you to get a colonoscopy when you are 50. I tell my kids 35.`
Roger said that if people go out and get tested earlier, cancers like Anne’s have less of a chance of getting to a point that makes it more difficult to combat.
`You know, there’s no reason to wait until you’re 50,` he said.
Roger said he would like to see some of the money go toward preventative measures like colonoscopies.
When asked what Anne would think if she could see what Roger and her family was doing with the marathon, Roger said only that if it were one of her friends or family members that this had happened to, `She would be the one organizing this, not me.`
According to Puckey, `She was an angel, she really was an angel, and I really believe that she would want us to go on with trying at least to beat cancer for other people.`
Roger said Anne’s motto while battling cancer was `Game on.` The first 275 participant’ in the race, according to Roger, will receive a green T-shirt. On the front is a shamrock, with the words `Anne’s Quest.` On the back are two words, `Game continues.`
Those who wish to participate in the race may visit www.annesquest.org for more details.
“
