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Cam Van Noord spent years raising money for breast cancer research. She didn't quit, even after her diagnosis.
By BABITA PERSAUD
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 4, 2000
TAMPA -- She is the "party girl" of the St. Joseph's Hospital fundraising committee.
The one who organizes the galas, the golf tournaments, the marathons to raise money for projects such as the new breast care center at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital.
The recent Hero-Am golf tournament that paired cancer survivors with golfers: That was all Cam Van Noord's idea.
She also helped with the Bucs versus The Backstreet Boys charity basketball game last April, and organized the Run for The Cure last year.
About $250,000 was raised by the run despite a rainstorm. Van Noord spent months organizing it and missed her annual checkup and mammogram. She delayed and delayed and before she knew it, it was August.
She set an appointment for Aug. 13, 1999, a Friday. "Just flying in the face of fate there," she recalls now.
She will never forget the moment she saw the spot. She could see a dark mass on the ultrasound. The tech was there and went to get the radiologist.
"I was just surprised at how seemingly large it was. It had all of the classic looks for a cancer mass," Van Noord said.
After 20 years in health care, most of them spent raising money for breast cancer research and treatment, she knew what she had seen. "And I knew it wasn't good," she said.
The biopsy results were given one afternoon just after her 45th birthday.(Kati 4*cut)
"I was braced," she said. "The news was what I had expected. Cancer. I had always thought about what I would do in this situation, and knew right away I wanted both my breasts removed. I didn't want to have anything to worry about again."
St. Joseph's was just starting to plan its breast care center for a new wing on the first floor of the Women's Hospital.
Plans call for a one-stop center offering anything to do with breast health, from mammograms to breast reductions, screenings, diagnosis, treatment and support services. As the hospital's special events manager, Van Noord would have been involved with the fundraising. But after her disease was diagnosed, her role expanded to consultant. Drawing on her own experiences, she told planners to make the new center as educational as possible.
"She's been a key player and her input important to the team," said Holly Kickliter, a spokesperson for St. Joseph's.
"I was always into it before, but it's more of a personal goal now," said Van Noord. "I'm just a cross-section of women going through this journey called cancer."
In September, doctors removed both of her breasts.
At the same time, she learned, she could also have reconstructive surgery. One team of doctors came in and removed her breasts. Another, came in and put expanders, like airbags, and filled them with saline every three weeks while she underwent chemotherapy. Then, her implants were put in.
The entire time, she worked toward her goal. She worked out of her home. She would bring her laptop to chemo. Money needed to be raised. A breast center needed to be built.
Van Noord, wife and mother of two teenagers, has always been an advocate for women and for those in need. In the greater Boston area, where she lived and went to college, she helped create Second Helping to give leftover food from restaurants to the homeless.
She started her own foundation, Woman's Care, and worked on fundraising activities for the American Cancer Society.
"I can't write you a check for $10,000, but I can get someone to do it, that was my particular talent," she said.
She moved to Tampa about three years ago.
Construction for the Women's Breast Center will begin in October. Linda Ellerbee will host the groundbreaking in October. It is scheduled to open in the spring of 2001.
In March, Van Noord finished chemo. Yet, she was still able to plan and attend the Hero-Am golf tournament June 5, her hair grown back slightly. The tournament was held at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club in Lutz the day after National Cancer Survivor's Day.
The foundation hopes to make it an annual event. "This is a great fundraiser," said one golfer to Van Noord.
"Thanks," she said. "But you know what will be nice, the day when we don't have to have one."