Celebration
of Life Luncheon
| 15TH ANNUAL |
| CELEBRATION OF LIFE LUNCHEON |
| JULY 14, 2009 |
| Elizabeth Edwards - Keynote Speaker |
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| What she spoke about ...... |
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ELIZABETH EDWARDS SPOKE ABOUT HER RESILIENCE |
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Elizabeth Edwards, who was featured at our 16th annual “Celebration of Life,” luncheon spoke of herself as being a “representative of all of us.” Edwards, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 while her husband was running for vice president, said, “All the celebrity I have is a matter of circumstance.” |
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And many circumstances have tested Edwards, including the death of her 16-year-old son, Wade, in a car accident, the much publicized infidelity of her husband and a recurrence of the cancer in 2007. She wrote about her experiences in her book, “Resilience
As Melanie Wong, a Vail Daily reporter wrote, “Edwards spoke of the importance of the kind of support for cancer patients, how she didn’t let cancer paralyze her or define who she was and the need for health care reform that will provide treatment for more women.
“While Edwards was clear that her focus is on the future and that she believes that the key is having the right perspective, she is also keenly aware of her mortality.”
Attendees of the luncheon called Edwards brave and inspirational.
“Every pain, every bump is a reminder of who is going to win,” said Edwards. “I know I’ll die much sooner than I want to die. My family will have another casket to choose and they will put me in the ground and I won’t be there to comfort them like I was with Wade.”
However Edwards was very clear that she lived each day to the fullest.
“Cancer, you may have me in your grip, but I’m still here and I’m still fighting, “ Edwards said emphatically. “We write our own story every day. The day we stop living is the day we start dying. Whatever our prognosis is, today we’re alive and today we can live!”
Members of the Vail Breast Cancer Awareness Group, were very touched by Edwards.
Co-founder, Patti Weinstein was humbled. “She was brave enough to share her story and she was open, said Weinstein. “That’s such a unique give. It taught all of us and made us stop and think about what is really important.”
Added board member, Kristen Williams, “There are unfortunate parts about living a very public life, but on the other hand, we’re able to observe a woman who is so valiantly living with Stage 4 cancer. We have a greater understanding of what resilience really means.”
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