FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – It’s tough to find anyone whose life somehow hasn’t been touched by cancer. Thursday night McLeod Health held its 17th Annual “Evening of Hope” benefit concert to raise money to fight the dreaded disease.
While it was dark inside the Florence Little Theater Thursday, the light of hope was evident everywhere. Performers sang, played, and danced their way through the benefit concert, all in honor or memory of someone special touched by cancer.
The money raised will go to benefit the McLeod Health Foundation’s “H.O.P.E.” fund. The acronym stands for “Helping Oncology Patients Everyday.”
“It’s a celebration of the survivors and in memory for the people we’ve lost over the years,” said Dr. Amy Murrell, a surgeon with McLeod Cancer center. She said raising money to fight cancer is the key to one day defeating the deadly disease.
“The treatment for cancer changes daily,” Murrell explained. “New chemotherapy comes around every day, more targeted chemotherapy for different specific cancers.”
“When I was 25, I was diagnosed for the first time,” recalled cancer survivor Adriene Poston.
Poston counts herself lucky to benefit from McLeod’s Cancer Center. Since that first diagnosis, she has beaten the disease three more times, had several surgeries–including a mastectomy–and countless rounds of chemo and radiation. In May of this year, doctors again found trouble.
“They found another spot on my shoulder,” said Poston. She said her faith in God keeps her going through what for many might prove too much.
“It’s scary the first time, extremely scary the second time and third time,” she smiled. “But I realize that no matter what I was gonna beat this.”
Dr. Murrell said events like Thursday’s “Evening of Hope,” will make McLeod even better at helping patients like Adriene.
“Everybody’s totally current and up to date the latest and the greatest and newest things here for cancer treatment in Florence and the Pee Dee.”
