Coach Rock Golf Classic
Cancer is a diagnosis that everyone hopes and prays doesn't strike their family. Unfortunately almost all of us have some personal connection to cancer. The good news is there are roughly 12 million cancer survivors here in America who have beaten this disease and are surviving and thriving. More and more individuals are surviving because of the advancements in medicine and the ability to detect cancer early. None of this would be possible without scientific research and doctors devoting their lives to making a difference and finding better ways to treat this horrible monster.
One of the doctors dedicated to making advancements in cancer medicine is Dr. Paul Walker. I first met Dr. Walker when I started working for a UNC program called Carolina Well located at the ECU Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center in August. One day after he stopped by his thoracic nurse's desk he stopped by mine to introduce himself and I quickly became intrigued by his knowledge, attitude, determination, and dedication to not only his thoracic oncology patients, but his love and dedication to the Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center at East Carolina University.
This is evident by the gift that he and his wife Kathy gave to East Carolina University in June of 2010, which was the largest donation a faculty member has ever given to ECU. A portion of this gift was used to create a fund to support innovative clinical trials research here at the LJCC. For several months they were not sure what to name the fund, but in early 2011 they decided they wanted to honor the late Coach Thomas "Rock" Roggeman who fought and battled lymphoma and was treated in Greenville at Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center. The newly named fund is now called "The Coach Rock Roggeman Cancer Research Fund."
For those of you who don't know who Coach Rock was, he was a former Notre Dame football player and an ECU defensive coordinator for the Pirates under the direction of then-head coach Skip Holtz. Coach Rock fought cancer with such courage and determination. And he never gave up the fight.
To honor his fight and legacy, The Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, The Brody School of Medicine Department of Oncology and The East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation is hosting the First Annual Coach Rock Roggeman Golf Classic. The event is to be held at Ironwood Country Club on May 20th, 2011.
The support for this event has been tremendous and we are excited to say that Coach Holtz and his wife Jennifer will be coming back to Greenville for the first time since he left to go coach at the University of South Florida. Coach Holtz and Rock had a close relationship and he wanted to be a part of something that will honor Rock and also give back to support cancer research. We are excited to have the support of Skip and his wife Jennifer.
The really cool part about the Coach Rock Cancer Research Fund is that ALL money raised stays right here in Eastern North Carolina. This is unlike many large national organizations that raise money and then we never receive any of the money locally. All funds raised will go a long way in making a difference for our patients here at LJCC. "We here at Leo Jenkins want patients to know that everything that can be done, has been done, is being done, and will always be done. It is our mission and passion in this fight," said Dr. Walker. "With events such as the Coach Rock Golf Classic we are igniting the flame to make a difference for all patients."
You may be wondering how I fit into all of this or why I am writing this blog, but unfortunately cancer hit very close to home for me. I was actually diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks after my 21st birthday. I am also a former Pirate athlete and played when Coach Rock was a coach. The bond that ECU athletes and coaches share, no matter what sport they play, is unbelievable and it's something I will cherish forever.
Growing up it was my dream to play soccer in college. I got that chance when Coach Rob Donnenwirth asked if I would like to come to ECU to play soccer. When I got to ECU, I bonded with my teammates, loved my classes, and met some really awesome friends. The only problem was that I wasn't performing at the level that I needed to on the field. I failed fitness test after fitness test and I was constantly physically exhausted. I had numbness and tingling in my toes and was having some trouble breathing when I exerted myself at a high level. Other than those little symptoms, I felt great!
After several failed attempts to pass the fitness test, pain in my toes, and always being tired, we came to the decision that it might be a good time to run some medical tests to see if we could figure out what was wrong. They found nothing. I convinced myself that I was just burnt out from the game. After a season of frustration and complications, I made the hardest decision of my life: to stop playing soccer. I still had the same symptoms from before when I was exercising but not at the level it had been.
Two years later, in October of 2007, I presented to the emergency room with complaints of a lower abdominal pain where I thought my appendix might be rupturing. They performed an abdominal CT scan where my lungs showed a 3x4cm mass on my left upper lobe. After many doctors' appointments and referrals, it was determined that I had a carcinoid tumor in my left upper lobe. I couldn't believe it...lung cancer in a 21- year-old, never smoking, college athlete. I had surgery to remove my upper lobe and lingula and I am happy to say I am now cancer free.
My story and diagnosis is how I ended up at Leo Jenkins Cancer Center. I immediately became involved in lung cancer advocacy, awareness, and raising money for research. That led from one connection to another and I was hired in August to be the community outreach coordinator for the UNC Carolina Well program. When I was first diagnosed I used to think "why me" now I think "why not me?"
My diagnosis has shaped me into a much stronger person and has given me an avenue to make a difference in people's lives that have to fight this battle as well. It has given me the opportunity to work with amazing people at Leo Jenkins, and the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation. This is something I am proud and honored to say I am a part of. I can honestly say, I never thought that I would be able to tie ECU Athletics and fundraising for clinical trials cancer research into one venture, but with the help and direction of a few dedicated people and the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation we are honoring a coach and funding much needed cancer research.
Coach Rock's distinguished coaching career at ECU touched players and fans alike. The entire Pirate nation knows that he coached with everything that he had, and that is how he fought cancer, too. Please join us in carrying on Coach Rock's legacy and his fight against cancer by supporting the 1st Annual Coach Rock Golf Classic on May 20th at Ironwood County Club. Tournament features a chance to win three cars, two vacations and $10,000. For more information and to register please call Renee Safford-White at 252-744-3070.
One of the doctors dedicated to making advancements in cancer medicine is Dr. Paul Walker. I first met Dr. Walker when I started working for a UNC program called Carolina Well located at the ECU Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center in August. One day after he stopped by his thoracic nurse's desk he stopped by mine to introduce himself and I quickly became intrigued by his knowledge, attitude, determination, and dedication to not only his thoracic oncology patients, but his love and dedication to the Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center at East Carolina University.
This is evident by the gift that he and his wife Kathy gave to East Carolina University in June of 2010, which was the largest donation a faculty member has ever given to ECU. A portion of this gift was used to create a fund to support innovative clinical trials research here at the LJCC. For several months they were not sure what to name the fund, but in early 2011 they decided they wanted to honor the late Coach Thomas "Rock" Roggeman who fought and battled lymphoma and was treated in Greenville at Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center. The newly named fund is now called "The Coach Rock Roggeman Cancer Research Fund."
For those of you who don't know who Coach Rock was, he was a former Notre Dame football player and an ECU defensive coordinator for the Pirates under the direction of then-head coach Skip Holtz. Coach Rock fought cancer with such courage and determination. And he never gave up the fight.
To honor his fight and legacy, The Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, The Brody School of Medicine Department of Oncology and The East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation is hosting the First Annual Coach Rock Roggeman Golf Classic. The event is to be held at Ironwood Country Club on May 20th, 2011.
The support for this event has been tremendous and we are excited to say that Coach Holtz and his wife Jennifer will be coming back to Greenville for the first time since he left to go coach at the University of South Florida. Coach Holtz and Rock had a close relationship and he wanted to be a part of something that will honor Rock and also give back to support cancer research. We are excited to have the support of Skip and his wife Jennifer.
The really cool part about the Coach Rock Cancer Research Fund is that ALL money raised stays right here in Eastern North Carolina. This is unlike many large national organizations that raise money and then we never receive any of the money locally. All funds raised will go a long way in making a difference for our patients here at LJCC. "We here at Leo Jenkins want patients to know that everything that can be done, has been done, is being done, and will always be done. It is our mission and passion in this fight," said Dr. Walker. "With events such as the Coach Rock Golf Classic we are igniting the flame to make a difference for all patients."
You may be wondering how I fit into all of this or why I am writing this blog, but unfortunately cancer hit very close to home for me. I was actually diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks after my 21st birthday. I am also a former Pirate athlete and played when Coach Rock was a coach. The bond that ECU athletes and coaches share, no matter what sport they play, is unbelievable and it's something I will cherish forever.
Growing up it was my dream to play soccer in college. I got that chance when Coach Rob Donnenwirth asked if I would like to come to ECU to play soccer. When I got to ECU, I bonded with my teammates, loved my classes, and met some really awesome friends. The only problem was that I wasn't performing at the level that I needed to on the field. I failed fitness test after fitness test and I was constantly physically exhausted. I had numbness and tingling in my toes and was having some trouble breathing when I exerted myself at a high level. Other than those little symptoms, I felt great!
After several failed attempts to pass the fitness test, pain in my toes, and always being tired, we came to the decision that it might be a good time to run some medical tests to see if we could figure out what was wrong. They found nothing. I convinced myself that I was just burnt out from the game. After a season of frustration and complications, I made the hardest decision of my life: to stop playing soccer. I still had the same symptoms from before when I was exercising but not at the level it had been.
Two years later, in October of 2007, I presented to the emergency room with complaints of a lower abdominal pain where I thought my appendix might be rupturing. They performed an abdominal CT scan where my lungs showed a 3x4cm mass on my left upper lobe. After many doctors' appointments and referrals, it was determined that I had a carcinoid tumor in my left upper lobe. I couldn't believe it...lung cancer in a 21- year-old, never smoking, college athlete. I had surgery to remove my upper lobe and lingula and I am happy to say I am now cancer free.
My story and diagnosis is how I ended up at Leo Jenkins Cancer Center. I immediately became involved in lung cancer advocacy, awareness, and raising money for research. That led from one connection to another and I was hired in August to be the community outreach coordinator for the UNC Carolina Well program. When I was first diagnosed I used to think "why me" now I think "why not me?"
My diagnosis has shaped me into a much stronger person and has given me an avenue to make a difference in people's lives that have to fight this battle as well. It has given me the opportunity to work with amazing people at Leo Jenkins, and the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation. This is something I am proud and honored to say I am a part of. I can honestly say, I never thought that I would be able to tie ECU Athletics and fundraising for clinical trials cancer research into one venture, but with the help and direction of a few dedicated people and the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation we are honoring a coach and funding much needed cancer research.
Coach Rock's distinguished coaching career at ECU touched players and fans alike. The entire Pirate nation knows that he coached with everything that he had, and that is how he fought cancer, too. Please join us in carrying on Coach Rock's legacy and his fight against cancer by supporting the 1st Annual Coach Rock Golf Classic on May 20th at Ironwood County Club. Tournament features a chance to win three cars, two vacations and $10,000. For more information and to register please call Renee Safford-White at 252-744-3070.
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ReplyDeleteLEARN MORE ABOUT LUNG CANCER AND SMOKING.