A Country Girl with Large Dreams and a Loud Voice
Suzanne Lindley and Chris Matthews at the Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum
Ask Suzanne Lindley about her home in Texas and she’ll tell you without hesitation. “This is the home that I dreamed of and without cancer I would have never seen this dream come true.” To most of the world, this summation by an eight-year, stage IV survivor in active treatment might sound strange or irrational.
But the more you get to know Suzanne, the more you understand her perspective. Suzanne is clear that if it hadn’t been for her colorectal cancer she never would have found herself standing in the West Wing of the White House. She never would have shaken the hand of the Vice President of the United States or had the presence of mind to tell him, “To win the war on cancer, we have to fund the war on cancer.”
That moment was something Suzanne could not have foreseen back on September 17, 1998, the day she was diagnosed. “It was the worst day of my life,” she says. She was told that she might have six months to live and to get her affairs in order. In the midst of the blur of the succeeding weeks, Suzanne emailed a desperate, scattershot plea on an online list-serve for colorectal cancer patients and survivors she had discovered at ACOR.org.
Shelly Weiler (the late father of C3’s Director of Operations, Judi Sohn) responded to her plea. “He told me there were options and there was great reason to have hope.” That was the day Suzanne became an advocate. “Meeting Shelly online changed my life and my battle with this disease. My family and I grabbed onto his hope, found a new doctor, and moved to the country.”
Like most good advocates, Suzanne soon came to the conclusion that what she was doing in her battle against colorectal cancer could not be limited just to herself and her family. She needed to take the fight to a different level. Her first effort was patient support, which she continues tirelessly to this day. She wanted to do the same types of things for others that “Shelly had done” for her.
In the past year, Suzanne has broadened her focus to include public policy. As she explains, “I knew many C3 advocates, and saw them working to increase funding for colorectal cancer research and prevention programs. I decided that I wanted to increase my impact on the big picture, so I too got involved with C3.”
Suzanne began working with C3 to learn how to make a difference. “The process just required a little persistence,” she says modestly. She started by writing personal letters with her story and pictures of herself and family, followed with phone calls, faxes, and emails. “I didn’t want to be a nuisance,” says Suzanne, “but I did want to be heard.” This paid off and she next held meetings with staff persons for her Representative and two Senators. “I followed up each meeting and reiterated that I wanted my message relayed and would like to meet personally with the Members.”
Once she was ready, Suzanne launched “Suzanne’s Whirlwind Tour,” a two-day round of meetings with her Representative and Senators.
Her tour began in a standard cancer patient fashion, with a morning of chemotherapy. Suzanne left treatment in her three-piece suit and headed for an appointment with her Representative, Jeb Hensarling (R-TX-5). “I was quite a sight walking down the hospital hallway, wig in one hand, cell phone in the other, getting some last-minute coaching. My high heels were clicking and people were staring.”
After meeting with Rep. Hensarling, she attended a luncheon with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and was able to speak with her privately about cancer funding needs. On day two of the tour, she met with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).
Since then, Suzanne has maintained her efforts. Texas Governor Rick Perry’s office has contacted Suzanne, and the Governor has declared March “Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month” in Texas. She continues to build relationships with her Senators and Representative, and they value her feedback. “I recently received a personal letter from Senator Hutchison asking for my view about NIH funding for 2007.”
And, where will Suzanne be this March? Talking to them all again in their Washington offices during C3’s Call-On Congress. “One voice can make a big difference, even a country girl’s voice,” she laughs. “That difference may save my own life. If not, it will go a long way toward helping future generations and hopefully prevent my children and others from enduring a similar battle.”
Last Update: May 9, 2008
