Fund raiser set for Feb. 3

MENTONE - Battling cancer, Brenda Olson, 47, Mentone, has come to appreciate the little things in life.

A smile. Seeing her children off to school in the morning. Spending time with family and friends.

"We have learned," said Olson, "to really enjoy each day God gives us."

She was told she had Leiomyo Sarcoma last May. "I was having some back trouble so I'd gone to the doctor and gone to the chiropractor ... but come to find out, it was a tumor on my uterus pushing on my back that was causing the trouble. It had spread to stage four," said Olson Wednesday.

The prognosis, she said, "is not real good but with the Lord's help, I've responded well to the chemo."

Her husband, Joe, who preaches at the First Baptist Church, Mentone, said no one else has responded as well as his wife to the Leiomyo Sarcoma treatment. "She's in a class by herself," he said. However, he said her case is still considered terminal but she could possibly live for another 20 years or so.

Joe and Brenda have four children, between the ages of 15 and 22.

"The first day (we found out), we all cried because it was such a shock," said Brenda. She said her children are doing very well now and the family is open about discussing her cancer.

Not only is her family supportive, but the small community of Mentone has been very supportive, Joe and Brenda said. "They've just been wonderful," she said. The couple moved to Mentone from Michigan approximately 11 years ago.

Joe said, "You can't walk down the street without someone saying they're thinking about you or praying for you."

She received more than 500 cards since before Christmas from the community. "Every day," she said, "cards come in." Besides cards, the community has shared dinner with the family, contributed money and added a lot of prayer support.

"Our church has just been wonderful," she said.

All the support from the church, family, community and friends, Brenda said, helps with her struggle. "It does," she said. "It encourages me ... ."

Brenda is one of five children and Joe is one of seven. All members of their family - brothers, sisters, children and parents "have been wonderful. Sometimes," Brenda said, "you need Mom."

The cooks at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School are having a chili supper fund raiser for Olson Feb. 3 at TVMS from 4 to 7 p.m. A free-will donation is asked.

The money raised from the community has helped the family support Brenda and maintain their lives. Her prescriptions alone are $700 a month. "Cancer is very expensive," Brenda said.

"It's the travel, it's the meals, it's feeding the kids when you're at the hospital," said Joe.

He said people have been very generous in their support of the family. Some have given them money specifically for gas because of their many trips to various hospitals. They were given a cellular phone to use, for free. The phone has helped the family catch up with each other when Brenda has had to go to various hospitals.

And it's those little things that count. [[In-content Ad]]