The first of a three part Series ~ an Educational & Inspirational Story …
By David Cohan, Proud Father and Founder

Susan was a beautiful little girl. With her beautiful smile and curly blond hair she literally lit up a room. Gazing into her piercing, innocent blue eyes, I never would have imagined her inner grit and determination. Throughout her childhood she developed a wonderful, optimistic, perspective of the people, and the world around her. She cherished her family and friends and began to develop lifelong relationships .Staying close to home Susan attended college in Maryland with the desire to pursue a career in broadcasting, perhaps a news anchor. Throughout college, Susan worked at my law firm and familiarized herself with the practice .Upon graduation, Susan began to submit resumes to various television stations and upon my request she included photos as well. Within one week, she received an offer from a public broadcasting station in Florida. Her upbringing, family values, and a desire to start her own family, kept her here in Baltimore. She immersed herself in the law firm and ran all financial aspects of the practice. Soon after, she met her husband from Athens, Greece and had two beautiful children Alex and Demi. Unfortunately, her husband’s business took them to Florida. We still spoke on the phone almost every day and she maintained her close relationships with her brothers and sisters as well.

How ironic it is, as my family and I approach this Thanksgiving holiday our minds and our hearts are taken back to this same time two short years ago. All of us were in a festive holiday mode, and excited as always knowing Susan and her family would be joining us in Baltimore soon. In the previous weeks, Susan had mentioned feeling constipated. She saw her local doctors who told her it was nothing serious and suggested laxatives as the answer. Susan was immersed in her family, always putting her husband and her children first. She continued to experience pain and discomfort, but never discussed it with the rest of our family. We couldn’t wait to see her….Her nightmare & our nightmare had begun, my baby called me from the emergency room in Boca Raton, Florida. She had admitted herself earlier that day in excruciating pain that she could no longer tolerate. She had been told that she had a horrible case of colon cancer and that she could only expect to live for a matter of months. My baby was hysterically crying and I was devastated. Her husband and I made immediate arrangements for her to be flown by air ambulance to Baltimore where she came under the care of a brilliant oncologist, Dr. Rodrigo B. Erlich. Dr Erlich was candid in his diagnosis and prognosis, but displayed so much warmth and compassion that Susan responded with incredible determination. Susan showed her strength and spirituality immediately after her surgery which included a colostomy. Awakening from the anesthesia, Susan was greeted by Alex (8), Demi (6), and the rest of our family. She responded with a cheerfulness and dignity that no one could have imagined what she had just been through, both physically and emotionally. Her inner strength and her genuine concern for others made everyone that had been touched by her, feel inspired in her presence.
Unfortunately, her war had just begun. Over the next six months Susan endured five intensive rounds of chemotherapy .The results showed that the huge mass in her colon had been substantially reduced and although the cancer had metastasized (spread) to her liver and her lung, the chemotherapy seemed to contain the spreading. Next, a brilliant surgeon, Dr Didolker, performed an intensive seven hour surgery and was able to remove the mass from the colorectal area. A biopsy was performed on the mass and it was now cancer free. Susan and the entire family’s optimism soared. Three weeks later Dr. Didolker was able to reverse the colostomy and Susan was able to regain normal functions again. This battle raged on for almost two years. In the midst of all of this Susan’s two sisters, Kim and Jodi, along with her brother, Alan, were encouraged to have colonoscopies. Susie saved her two sister’s lives, as they both had pre-cancerous polyps that were removed during their colonoscopies. Susie was thrilled that all that she had endured had saved her sister’s lives. Alan left his business and literally put his life on hold to move to Florida and be a daily ally of Susan in her war and an inspiring uncle and buddy to the children. When Suzie endured the second and more intensive chemotherapy she lost all her hair but joyfully took pictures of her and Alan and laughed and reminisced about how people had mistaken them for twins growing up. Alex and Demi cared for their mother with incredible courage beyond their years.

I had to hold back my tears watching the children care for her. We were always a close family but Susan’s unanticipated illness brought us even closer together physically and even more important spiritually. For two years she fought with the grace and charisma of a proud young woman who refused to have self pity or bow down to this vicious cancer.

Every time the family got together Suzie inspired us with her courage and her perspective. She would say that “the heart is the only major organ that the cancer cannot attack”. Near the end, at her request, we started this foundation in her honor. Suzie’s Cause will educate millions of people around the world.

As my family prepares to come together for this Thanksgiving without our girl, we are reminded of everything that she stood for. Everything that is good inside all of us. No father should ever have to bury a child. No young children should lose their brother or sister to this disease. No child should have to grow up without a mother. Alex once asked me, Grandpa, I have two questions. How do you think mommy is doing as an angel? and … Grandpa why did mommy have to leave so soon? In reflection, the only answer that could possibly make any sense is Mommy is doing awesome as an angel. She left so soon because she had hundreds of thousands of lives to save.

For more information on colon cancer or to help us to end this dreaded disease please contact us www.coloncancerfoundation.org or by phone at 410-382 2217. You can Become a fan on Facebook at this link:
Susan-Cohan-Kasdas-Colon-Cancer-Foundation or Follow them on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/coloncancerfnd

This Inspirational Story to be continued….
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Tammy Bowers is a Charter Member and Community Reporter with the Village Connector Community News. She is the Co-Owner of Rolling Ads of Maryland, a unique branding company as well as an Outdoor Mobile Billboard Advertising Vehicle. She is also the Owner of Inspiring Hearts LLC, a boutique specializing with handcrafted and uniquely designed items that are motivational and inspirational. You can reach Tammy at 410-615-4117 or 410-812-6024 or via email at Tammy@rollingadsmd.com.