Lori's Story

By Seth Lepper

Lori is the love of my life and was the strongest person I’ve ever known. She was a devoted family woman who enjoyed vacationing at Walt Disney World and loved to be at the ball field watching and supporting our children.

In August of 2011, Lori was diagnosed with an aggressive form of colon cancer. Her cancer rapidly progressed from stage 2 to stage 4. Surgery was not a viable option. Undaunted, Lori was determined to fight for herself and her family.

Lori worked as a registered nurse in the Emergency Departments of Summa Akron City Hospital and Summa Western Reserve Hospital. Having a familiarity with various treatments helped her in considering her options. Initially, she tried conventional treatment. Her doctor started her on chemotherapy.

The day came when we had to accept that the chemo by itself was not working. Still determined to fight, we started making weekly trips from Ohio to Michigan for alternative treatments. These treatments helped to reduce the side effects of the chemotherapy and improve the quality of her life. In addition to the alternative treatments, Lori passionately researched and found the best vitamins to take and the best foods to eat to help in her fight against cancer.

Lori battled courageously, fighting her disease through both traditional and nontraditional means. She never gave up. I remember going over the bills with her. She told me how fortunate we were to have the means to afford the fight. Her concern was for others in her situation that didn’t have insurance or couldn’t afford alternative treatments not covered by insurance. She spent her life thinking of and caring for others, to the very end.

On January 10, 2013, Lori’s battle with cancer was over, and she went home to the Lord.