A woman's determination, and a family's thanks

To the editor: Our family would like to thank all those thoughtful people and organizations who gave so generously of their time and financial help to Debbie Dewar Ewald. In September of 2005 Debbie submitted a letter to an ABC radio contest. The following are excerpts of that letter: “I was 43 years old when I was diagnosed two years ago. It was stage III breast cancer - I went on the Internet to do research and was so frightened by what I had read. The odds did not look promising. Odds, statistics, ratios - I decided that was NOT going to be me. “I am a divorced woman with two children, a 20-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter. This battle with breast cancer has left me ‘financially challenged.’ The stress has become unbearable between the financial worries and the obvious health issues. I would also like to take this opportunity to discuss with someone the possibilities of offering grants and/or loans to women and families who need assistance during such a difficult time. I believe everything happens for a reason - there are no accidents. Maybe I got breast cancer to raise awareness of the financial stresses in order to help other women and families in need.” Once again we thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all the aid, comfort and prayers offered. Arden and Don Dewar Pattie and Paul McNamara Alex and Holly Ewald Ormond Beach, Florida