Pretty in Pink: Local Cancer Survivor Part of Penn State Pink Zone

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (EYT) – When Linda Schirmer of Limestone stepped onto the court on Sunday at Bryce Jordan Center with Penn State Women’s Basketball, she knew she was among friends.

(Article by Ron Wilshire.)

The annual Pink Zone helps support Pennsylvania Pink Zone fundraisers for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and other charities that support cancer patients.

“I got to walk out with the point guard as a cancer survivor, and they introduced me,” Linda said. “They picked five people, one for each starter. We got to go in the huddle, and it was pretty amazing.”

This was the third year Linda attended the event, but this is the first year she was asked to join the starters, being paired with Point Guard Leilani Kapinus.

“At halftime, all of the survivors got on the court, and they added up the number of years,” the retired Clarion-Limestone teacher said. “I think this year we reached 4,000 years of survivorship. I’m at four years and 10 months.”

Since 2007, the Pink Zone has partnered with the Lady Lions to fundraise for cancer patients and honor cancer survivors. Each year, survivors are honored on the court at halftime.

In the 16 games that Penn State has hosted the Pink Zone, the group has raised over $2 million to support cancer patients.

“Leilani was amazing. She taught me her clap to come out to the center, and we did it together. We stayed while everybody was announced, and then we got to go to the huddle for the coach’s talk. Then, they went on the court, and it was really cool.

“At halftime, everybody goes out, but they only choose five people to go out with the five starters. I got announced where I was from and how long I’d been surviving.”

The Lady Lions wear pink uniforms for the Pink Zone game, while the rest of the Bryce Jordan Center is filled with pink clothing and accessories. Playing in the game is important for those on the Lady Lions — it’s not just a distraction from basketball, but a privilege to represent something bigger than the game.

Linda hits the five-year mark on April 12 and is in Stage 3-A after a recent tumor marker.

“I’m still good, and we were really aggressive. I credit my doctors and nurses and Tracy Myers and her group at the Clarion Cancer Center.  I’ve gotten really close with them, and we’re going to do a craft night. On Thursday night, the nurses are coming to my house to do a craft night with me.

“I’m also the treasurer of the Clarion Sunshine Project. We deliver crafts to the Cancer Center to sell to make money for them.“

The official mission of Clarion Sunshine Project is to help low-income patients at our local (non-profit) Clarion Hospital Cancer Center meet the financial burden of medical expenses incurred at various healthcare facilities in the course of their treatment for cancer and related diseases.

With three children and five grandchildren and her husband, David, the family has played an important part in Linda’s recovery.

Through it all, she has not let cancer keep her down and has continued an active lifestyle. Two years to the day of diagnosis she ran a half marathon, and she just ran another one last spring in Gettysburg.

“My current thing is I’m doing scuba diving lessons to do underwater photography. I was in Alaska in August with Jeff Schultz, the official photographer for the Iditarod (Trail Sled Dog Race). He’s a very famous photographer, and there were seven of us with him. I got to spend several days with him going out and taking photographs. It’s gorgeous, I took 4,000 pictures, and it was just amazing.”

Their oldest son, Cam, went to Penn State and is a teacher and track coach at Mohawk High School. Their youngest son, Grant, is a hospitalist at Penn Highlands in DuBois.

Their daughter Lynnie played basketball at C-L and Penn State DuBois, and a framed picture of her at the Clarion Applebee’s brings it full circle for Linda.

“I’ve coached pink games, and then they had a pink game for me four years ago, but there she is on the wall at Applebee’s in her pink uniform.”

Humor is also an important part of dealing with the prospect of cancer.

For example, Linda explained, “We found out we were going to have our first grandchild, and then shortly after that, we found out I had cancer. My daughter and son-in-law invited us in to be in on the birth, and it was right at the end of my radiation.”

They decided to bet on who would have the most hair at birth–the grandmother, or the grandchild. The baby won, but Linda grew her hair back, and she continues to thrive.