Gold Coaster Susie Ryan was first diagnosed with cancer 18 years ago, with sarcoma, a tumor in the soft tissue of her thigh.

Eight years ago, the cancer appeared in her fallopian tubes, and two years ago, it entered her brain. Eight months after brain surgery, Ryan triumphantly ran a half-marathon.

Dan Olas, who lives in West Town, was first diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in Nov. 2007, at age 37. The following year, the cancer was in his liver. Today, Olas is holding his own cancer-wise.

You’d never know by talking to or looking at either Ryan or Olas that they were fighting for their lives. They’ve both obviously received excellent physical care from doctors. But the medicine they’ve needed for their souls, their spirits, they’ve gotten from Gilda’s Club at 537 N. Wells St.

“Gilda’s is a very healing, hopeful, and peaceful place,” said Ryan, who came to the club as a volunteer. “It’s made my journey so much easier. You can become so close to people when you can say your innermost fears, and know you won’t be judged. At Gilda’s, we think bald is beautiful.”

Ryan and Olas were my inspirations, and my tablemates, at Gilda’s Club’s sold-out Red Door Luncheon (which was the incredible vision of director of development Steve Majsak), held last week at Petterino’s.

Olas, who is president of the Gilda’s Associate Board, said the club taught him “how to feel like an active participant as opposed to a punching bag.”

“Gilda’s fulfills a spot that the doctors and medical community don’t touch,” said Olas. “It saved my life.”

Gilda’s, which offers about 200 activities a month, opened in 1998 in River North, and I toured the club way back then with the amazingly-dynamic current CEO, LauraJane Hyde. At the luncheon, Hyde told the crowd that running Gilda’s, “has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life.”

She recalled being 12 years old when her grandfather fell in the bathroom, weakened by cancer, and how she watched as her grandmother lovingly took care of him, but with no one to talk to about it.

“I wish so much there would have been a Gilda’s Club,” Hyde said.

“You know cancer changes lives,” she said. “So does Gilda’s.”

A great thing about Gilda’s is that it’s not only for survivors, it’s for their families and caregivers too. As a former caregiver, I could definitely relate to the event’s featured speaker, Chaz Ebert.

Ebert in 1992 married film critic Roger Ebert, now a salivary cancer survivor (he missed the event due to a compression fracture in his back). She really hit the nail on the head when she said there were no roadmaps for cancer and caregiving.

“You don’t know where you’re going or what the day will bring,” she said.

She recalled days when Roger “just wanted to die” and how he once even wrote her a note saying, “Kill me.” Ebert, looking stunning in bright red to represent Gilda’s signature red front door, said 60 to 70 percent of caregivers end up dying before the patient, and that they tend to forget about themselves in the “marathon” their lives become.

That’s why a place like Gilda’s is so critical, she said.

“It starts with a helping hand,” said Ebert.

Christmastime will be the three-year anniversary of living with neck and throat cancer for another inspiring tablemate of mine, Alex Melnyczuk. But this holiday season should be filled with good cheer for Melnyczuk, who came out of a depression with help from his friends at Gilda’s, said his wife, Taissa Magnus.

“I wish we’d started coming earlier,” said Magnus. “Now I can laugh.”

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By Susie from Gold Coast
Posted: 11/03/2011 9:46 AM

Ms. Dechter, Thanks so much for that wonderful article about Gilda\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Club. It is a great testimonial as to what Gilda\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Club is all about & I thought you captured the essence of the heart & soul of Gilda\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Club. I think this information will give others who face this dreaded disease, a realization that there is a place where there is a loving community to give them hope, teach them how to find some peace with that diagnosis, and that they need not be alone. They will learn how to get conrtrol over their cancer and not let cancer control them. They will receive that emotional support one needs at this time. Gilda\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s is truly a remarkable place. Thanks for spreading the word Susie