Small Town News

Komen team swells with Glendas Witchy Women

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When Jessica Leach was young she would come to DeWitt Bank and Trust after school to wait while her mother Becca Lane worked late. One of the things she enjoyed most was playing games with another bank employee Glenda Patterson.

The two would often have scavenger hunts, Leach recalled. "She'd leave a trail of clues," Leach said. Patterson would put notes in her desk, and "I would leave her clues. It was a game so I would have something to do."

So this year, when Leach had the opportunity to do something for Patterson, she took it.

Earlier this year, Patterson was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a particularly aggressive disease, which cannot be found with a mammogram. So Leach formed a team in Patterson's honor to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Little Rock Saturday. Soon, she was overwhelmed by the numbers of supporters who came forward to help.

"I barely had 10 people when I started," Leach said. "Now it's gone to 53.1 got a lot more feedback than I thought 1 would."

Patterson was also moved by all the support, especially from Leach. "I'm so proud of Jessica," she said last week on her first day back at work at DB&T. On Patterson's door is a picture the young Jessica drew of her friend, showing a woman with a big heart. "She said I had a big heart," Patterson said.

Patterson's bout with breast cancer started in May, when she went to see Dr. Lee Tracy after "having some problems." Her mammogram showed nothing, but it looked like some of the lymph nodes were enlarged. So Patterson went for an appointment at the Arkansas Breast Center in Little Rock that day. After speaking to the doctors, she was told her outlook was "50-50."

This was followed by six rounds of very strong, "terrible," chemotherapy, followed by a mastectomy. Patterson's treatment shows how the approach to cancer has changed over the years. The old approach was to perform the surgery immediately. But Patterson's doctors explained that "by killing off the cancer cells first, [the surgeons] don't have to take out as many healthy lymph nodes." Now that the mastectomy is over, Patterson will be starting more chemotherapy next week.

But this won't stop her from coming to Little Rock for the Race for the Cure. "I have a wheelchair," she said, "and my grandsons will help push me."

The team has been named "Witchy Women Walking for Glenda," which may seem like a long name, but it's totally appropriate, Leach said.

Patterson was born on Halloween in Salem, AR, and her name is similar to Glinda, the good witch of Oz. Leach said this is the second time she has participated in the Race for the Cure, but this time it means a lot more. "I have a completely different outlook thi s time," she said.

The Witchy Women will join several other DeWitt teams for the event Saturday, which drew 46,000 people last year. Since its inception 15 years ago, the Komen race in Arkansas has raised $8.5 million for breast cancer research, education and prevention.

Anyone who wants to take part in the race for the Cure can still do so by registering at the Race site Saturday morning. The event begins at 8 a.m.

For Patterson it has been "very emotional that so many people care." She credited her co-workers for carrying the load while she was out and "I've had so many cards and calls from the whole county."

And while she's ready for the Race this weekend, she said she has, "run a race already and I'm almost to the finish line."



Copyright 2009 DeWitt Era-Enterprise, DeWitt, Arkansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 DeWitt Era-Enterprise DeWitt, Arkansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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