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Cancer survivor plans benefit
By BOB McCLURE
| Article published on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 |
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| Gwen Novak of Redington Shores leans on her electric golf cart with her son Winston and daughter Chloe. |
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REDINGTON SHORES – Gwen Novak admits she gets most of her ideas first thing in the morning.
So when the Redington Shores resident woke up about a month ago, the thought of organizing a cancer benefit event seemed like a pretty good idea.
Quickly she worked with a number of friends and family to put together “Gwen 10 on 10/10,” a dinner and silent auction Saturday, Oct. 10, from 6 to 10 p.m., at Chapel on the Hill, 12601 Park Blvd., in Seminole.
Proceeds will benefit the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure.
Novak’s inspiration was her own experience after battling breast cancer for a year and beating the ugly killer. Thanks to an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy and radiation, the 47-year-old single mother of two says she has a 65 percent chance of living more than 10 years.
“I decided I wanted to do something to end a very tough year,” she said. “So I figured I would have a big party, silent auction and put my paintings in it.”
Novak, a talented artist, said she came up with the theme of “Gwen 10” because the character is a cartoon super hero that symbolizes herself.
“Everybody has to be a super hero to get through something like this,” she said. “For me, this is closure (on a tough year) and starting a new beginning. I just want women to know it’s not the end of the world if you have to go through what I did.”
Novak chose October because it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“Superman himself couldn’t keep me down,” she said. “I’m on a mission now. I’m going to make this an every-year thing.”
Novak’s battle with breast cancer started in August 2008 when she woke up one morning and felt a pulling feeling in her chest.
A biopsy at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa proved positive.
“I was devastated,” she said. “I just came up to my bedroom and laid on the floor and cried.”
She had the choice of a mastectomy or undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation.
Novak chose the lumpectomy and had the surgery in December.
“I spent Christmas on the couch very heavily medicated,” she recalled.
Further tests indicated the need to remove the lymph nodes in one arm and with that came the need for chemo every two weeks over the next four months at Gulf Coast Oncology in Largo.
“It was scary because it was the nasty kind of chemo,” Novak said. “It was the red variety, which is the worst kind you can have.”
After her second round of chemo, her hair began to start falling out.
Prior to undergoing chemo and anticipating the hair loss, she organized a pre-chemo wig party with her friends.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Novak. “I did it mainly to stay positive mainly for the kids. It was all for the kids.”
Through it all, her 10-year-old daughter Chloe and 9-year-old son Winston held strong but Winston had a few tough moments when his mom started losing her hair.
“He was upset because it embarrassed him that his mother didn’t have any hair,” she said. “But once it started growing back, he was touching it all the time.”
Novak said the worst part was when she lost her eyebrows because “that’s when you really look sick.”
After seven weeks of radiation that followed at Well Spring in St. Petersburg, Novak now has her hair and eyebrows back. And she has more energy than most people her age.
“I’m just glad to be done with it,” she said. “When I wake up every day, I sing to my kids and I’m happy.”
Residents along the beach see her frequently in her yellow golf cart and often wave, knowing well what she has been through over the past 13 months.
“I just can’t say enough about all the kind people on the beach,” Novak said. “People would take me to chemo whose last names I didn’t know. It was great how so many came together to help me.”
What’s next? Novak hopes to find more time to let her creative juices flow.
“I really want to work on my paintings,” she said. “I just like to paint what I see in my mind.”
It’s a hobby that started in high school and has since evolved into abstract watercolors.
Many of her works will be up for auction at the Oct. 10 benefit.
Tickets are $20 and include one cocktail ticket, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, assorted desserts and pastries. Tickets are available at Owen Sweet Jewelry Design, 16071 Gulf Blvd., North Redington Beach; and Bad Ass Coffee, 35 182nd Ave. W., Redington Shores.
For more information, call 804-5522 or e-mail domingopink@yahoo.com.
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Article published on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
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