Life Beyond Cancer
Four Cancer Survivors Share Their Inspiring Experiences
Story by Rod Drake and Jennifer McDonnell
Photography by Karen Johnson and Patrick Wirtz
Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) has a team of the very best oncologists, researchers and scientists who have dedicated their work to one goal: reducing the burden of cancer. However, one of the strongest weapons in the fight against cancer is the strong personal will of the patients. Here, four NVCI survivors share their personal and inspiring stories about their battles and their experiences at NVCI.
Yvonne Clay“You have breast cancer.” Upset by the diagnosis and the blunt way it was delivered, Yvonne Clay and her husband, Charles, decided they needed a physician they could trust and with whom they felt comfortable. After surgery at University Medical Center, they were advised to see Dr. Phillip Manno at NVCI. “He spelled out everything step-by-step and very clearly, which I appreciated, especially when he reassured me that I would be fine,” Yvonne said. “Dr. Manno said he would do his part for my recovery, but most of the success would be due to my attitude.”
Yvonne’s first reaction to NVCI was overwhelmingly positive: Everyone was so genuinely concerned that she felt like family. “There was nothing that wasn’t a positive experience,” Yvonne said, “but certainly the people, their compassion and the support they offered is a memory Charles and I treasure.”
In fact, the couple was so pleased with NVCI that on weekends they would invite their friends to peer into the glass doors at the flagship facility. Although her treatments were concluded on September 14, 2007, she and Charles still enjoy returning to NVCI to visit their support team. “We didn’t tell people about it, the cancer, because it was so frightening and personal,” Charles recalled, “but now we tell the whole world about it and NVCI.”
