Hearing the news that a loved one has received a cancer diagnosis can be devastating. But, when Diana Johnson learned her friend and business partner, Jean Hehn, had the disease, she did not despair. Instead, she decided to take action and organize a campaign to raise research money in honor of Hehn.
Although she has no family history of the disease, Hehn discovered she had breast cancer in May, after a mammogram she had had a month before. She was on vacation in Alaska when she got the news.
“It was great to have some time away to process all the emotions before coming back home to face treatment and reality,” Hehn said. “I felt very confident that I would beat breast cancer, as I’d seen so many other women bravely face that battle and win.”
Hehn immediately sent a text message to Johnson to tell her about the diagnosis. The two women have been friends for more than a decade. Johnson met Hehn’s daughter, Maggie, in high school, and has been close with the whole Hehn family since then.
“After I graduated with my master’s in 2010, Jean was the one who encouraged me to do social work,” Johnson said. “She was telling me about how awesome the field was, and she helped me decide what career path to take.”
Hehn offered Johnson a partnership in a private practice, which opened in early 2012.
When Hehn began treatment for breast cancer this summer at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, physicians discovered she also had stage IV pancreatic cancer. To make matters worse, it had metastasized to her lungs.
Hehn was stunned.
“That was quite a larger shock, because of the severity of this type of cancer and, again, no symptoms,” Hehn said.
Hehn’s friends and family demonstrated their support through individual actions, such as painting their toenails purple — the color for pancreatic cancer awareness. But, Johnson wanted to do something to unify the supporters. She decided to focus on pancreatic cancer instead of breast cancer, because there are fewer efforts to fight this type. She was frustrated that there was not even a screening process for it.
Johnson’s first idea was to design T-shirts. The shirts are purple and feature text saying “Jean can do it,” with a graphic of Rosie the Riveter.
Johnson then expanded her campaign through Booster, a website that allows users to organize fundraisers. The money from T-shirt sales will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc. The campaign was originally set to end Aug. 9, but it was so successful that Johnson decided to continue with a second stage.
“I expected to sell maybe 10 shirts,” Johnson said.
With 16 hours left in the first stage of the campaign she had sold 69. By the next morning, she had sold 82 shirts. Each shirt costs $20, and 100% of the proceeds are donated.
For the second stage of the campaign, Johnson plans to also accept donations for any amount, without the purchase of a shirt, so that even those who do not personally know Jean will be encouraged to participate.
Because of Hehn’s illness, she and Johnson are permanently closing their counseling practice in September. But, Hehn does not plan to let cancer stop her from doing other things she loves. During the next year, she hopes to travel with her family and spend extra time pursuing her artistic hobbies: painting and photography.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Johnson said depending on how Hehn is feeling with her chemotherapy treatments at that time, she might organize an awareness event. She also hopes to lead Hehn’s supporters during Relay for Life 2015.
“It’s scary, but if anyone can beat the odds, I think it’s probably Jean,” Johnson said. “Her spirit’s just so calm that she has this confidence about her. I think she could tackle anything.”
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.
HOW TO HELP
The first shipment of shirts will arrive Aug. 22, but the fundraiser will continue until then. Proceeds from the purchase of Johnson’s shirts will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc. To purchase a shirt, make a donation or read more of Jean’s story, visit booster.com/JeanSlaystheCancerBeasts.
BY THE NUMBERS
46,000: The number of U.S. diagnoses per year
39,000: The number of U.S. deaths per year
3: The percentage of all U.S. cancer cases
1.5: The percentage of the average lifetime risk of development
1: The percentage of Stage IV five-year survival rate
SOURCE: cancer.org