John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Around lunchtime on Friday, May 11, you probably saw multiple cars surrounding Four Freedoms Park, in downtown Madison, as you passed by. You may have even stepped into the park to support a local resident in her journey to defeat Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
Approximately 20 to 25 volunteers put on gloves and grabbed the spoons and forks under the canopy of trees from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event was put on for Sherri Howell, of Madison, who has been diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. During a Jan. 11 surgery, four lymph nodes tested positive for cancer. Possibly four more affected lymph nodes were detected on Monday, Feb. 5. Howell has undergone multiple chemotherapy treatments since then, with more to follow. Howell, who has been a resident of Madison for almost 30 years, is scheduled for what she hopes will be her final surgery this summer, at Moffitt Cancer Center, in Tampa.
The lunch consisted of an $8 plate of chicken and rice, green beans, a roll, and a dessert. All proceeds from the event went to a fund that will help the Howell family cover medical expenses during their effort to defeat cancer.
Howell is married to Keith Howell, and they have three children: Dara Ward, Taylor Howell and Kyler Howell.