The Daily News

Listening to a doctor tell a person they have cancer is a life-changing experience.

One Wyndmere woman, Karen David, was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in January of 2008. She knows how hard it is to hear that diagnosis.

This long-time Wyndmere resident is grateful to her family and friends who have supported her throughout this difficult ordeal.

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“One never knows the challenges that God has in store for them, but with faith and the love of family and friends those challenges can be overcome,” David said.

Many of the friends who have been a source of never ending support are planning a benefit to help David and her husband, Robert, with medical expenses.

The benefit is Nov. 30 at the Wyndmere Community Center with a dinner from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The meal is a free will offering and will consist of pork loin, potatoes, vegetable, dinner rolls and dessert. A bake sale consisting of many Christmas goodies will also be on hand.

There will be a silent auction, raffles and more.

Bidding will be intense on the silent auction with a variety of items such as Mary Kay, Norwex, Stampin’ Up, Lia Sophia, Avon, Tastefully Simple, Shaklee, aerial crop spraying, corn seed and soybean seed, a Nintendo Wii, 7-inch under cabinet LCD TV with a DVD and CD player, Sioux hockey tickets and several quilts.

Raffle tickets are already available and will be sold at the benefit. The prizes are two half hogs donated by Jim and Susie Moffet, an iPod touch from the Wyndmere faculty, a rhythm clock by AB Art Gallery and a queen/king quilt sewn by Rose Olson and Judy Krause.

The benefit is supported by members of Thrivent Financial for Lutheran - Richland Chapter.

“Karen is a long-time resident of the Wyndmere area and needs our support as she continues to fight cancer and the complications from treatments,” said Rachel Klosterman, one of the organizers of the benefit. “Along with your financial support, please remember Karen and her family in your prayers.”

David hasn’t had an easy time with her treatments. She began 30 treatments of radiation and eight chemotherapy treatments shortly after being diagnosed. She experienced many setbacks because of her treatments. After a long period of nausea, inability to eat and being hospitalized several times throughout the summer, David underwent two major surgeries. Surgeons reconstructed her small bowel, which was damaged during the treatments. Although released last week, she was hospitalized since Sept. 7.

She still can’t take anything by mouth but has a bag of nutrition, which goes into her port and goes through her bloodstream so she has some nutrients, Klosterman said.

Although she was in the hospital for such a long time, David wanted everyone to know she is feeling much better and getting stronger every day.

“I am so grateful to the community of Wyndmere and surrounding areas for all of your help and kindness,” she said.

The David family has had a long tradition in Wyndmere. Bob David graduated from Wyndmere High School in 1973. Their daughter, Mandy graduated in 2000.

Mandy and her husband, Jeff Groven, are the parents of Cooper, who is the light of grandma’s life.

David taught at Wyndmere Public School from 1978-1985 as a social studies teacher and physical education instructor. She coached girls basketball and track and also coached summer rec softball for years.

In 1994 David went back to coaching at the high school by starting the volleyball program in Wyndmere. She coached until 2001. David established a strong program in which she had a district championship team and was named District Coach of the Year.

She stayed active in the community by being a substitute teacher in the area. She began officiating volleyball in 2002 but gave it up this year when she became ill.

Organizers of the benefit want David and her family to focus on her recovery. It is overwhelming to hear the diagnosis of cancer. When the patient suffers as many problems David has, financial worries only cause more trouble.

“Please mark the benefit on your calendars and plan to attend,” Klosterman said.

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