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Wiesner, whose husband Michael died of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015, said she has found solace in the group of 14 women and men who have lost their spouses to cancer.
“We were seeking a way to deal with that immeasurable loss and grief and we found each other, and we found Claire our facilitator. And through that we found a way to cope and to deal, and it’s been just an amazing help,” Wiesner told Daily Voice.
On Sunday, Wiesner and her group will be participating in the 30th Annual CancerCare Paramus Walk/Run for Hope at Bergen Community College. The event raises funds and awareness for the Ridgewood non-profit, which provides free services to those facing cancer and their families.
The event brings together friends and families to walk or run in memory of those they have lost to cancer, honor survivors and support those who are currently facing a cancer diagnosis.
Wiesner will be participating in memory of Michael.
Wiesner said she waited 40 years to find her husband, then fell in love him the moment she met him. “He was brilliant. He was loving. He was caring. My two daughters fell in love with him as well,” she said.
She was with him through every step of his illness, she said, from his 2006 diagnosis to when he passed in 2015 on their 11 ½ year anniversary.
A few months later, she suffered a spinal stroke, and is now in a wheelchair, learning to walk again. Through it all, her support group has been there.
Now Wiesner is proud to be able to give back and help others.
“One hand washes the other so to speak. If I don’t help by giving back, then they can’t continue the programs that they do,” she said. “It is just a fact of life that people will pass, and if in my small way I can help CancerCare help others in my position, then I am very proud to do so.”
For more information on the event, or to donate, CLICK HERE.
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