“There is life after cancer. Lots of it,” says 55-year-old Johnna Kuhn of Waymart.
Ten-years, breast-cancer free, Johnna’s picture appears in the Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania 2008 “Gallery of Hope” display at Wayne Memorial Hospital.

Johnna says there’s so much hope out there. “I’m thrilled to have another birthday ...I think initially, your mind says, ‘It’s a death sentence.’ But it really, really is a hopeful disease. It’s one day at a time, small steps at first.”

Diagnosed in 1998, Johnna remembers her most fervent wish was to see her oldest daughter, Ellen Kuhn, graduate from high school.

Just this spring she saw her youngest child, Laura Kuhn, graduate from college.
Peg Pearsall of Beach Lake is a two-time cancer survivor. She’s a 17-year breast cancer survivor (diagnosed 1991) and a six-year colon cancer survivor (diagnosed 2002). “I’ve not only had it twice, five family members had cancer and we’re all here. All survivors. So, there is hope,” Peg says.

Peg’s parents are both cancer survivors. Her father, Jack Klages of Rileyville, had colon cancer and later prostate and bladder cancer; while her mom, Anna Klages had breast cancer. Her brother Bill Klages of Staten Island was cured from mouth cancer. And her sister, Anita Urso of Hazelton is a thyroid cancer survivor.

For the past 17 years, Peg’s been a driving force behind the Look Good / Feel Better Program with the American Cancer Society, showing women with breast cancer how to style wigs and apply makeup. “She makes it fun,” Johnna says.

Both Johnna and Peg say they appreciate the, “small things in life.”
“You appreciate things so much more. Just the simple things in life. Getting up and going to work, travel, [and] meeting people,” she said.

Standing in front of the Gallery of Hope display, Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Lisa Champeau, Public Relations Manager, said, “This wonderful display of breast cancer survivors by the Blue Cross increases public awareness. It’s the positive, hopeful face of cancer ...Survival is possible with early detection.”

Leigh Ann Wiedlich, Blue Cross Community Relations Specialist, thanked Wayne Memorial for hosting the 2008 Gallery of Hope. “We like to each year compose the Gallery of Hope to let people know there is something they can do. They can be pro-active, rather than reactive when it comes to their overall health care.” Wiedlich, who stressed the importance of self exams and routine mammograms, said it’s all about empowering the public with knowledge and the right tools.