By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
For 45-year-old Nancy Iverson, perhaps the best way to honor her husband’s memory – and to support the Burlington Hope Walk – is to tell the story of her late husband’s battle with melanoma.
Iverson will be the guest speaker at Saturday’s Hope Walk, which will run from 6-10 p.m. at Burlington High School. There will be a 5K run/walk – with registration starting at 5:30 p.m. – as well as a two-mile walk starting at 7 p.m., including awards, and the traditional “Candle of Hope” ceremony.
Iverson’s husband, Timothy, was diagnosed with melanoma on his back in 2010. He initially did well in battling the disease, but started to struggle with what was thought to be bronchitis or the flu in November of 2012.
Instead, scans revealed a recurrence of the cancer, and he was admitted for various treatments. None of the treatments worked, and Nancy Iverson recalled her husband being in a great deal of pain starting in January of 2013.
Scheduled for radiation treatments, Timothy could only get through three of them.
“They had him on so much pain medication and he still could not sit still for the treatments,” Nancy explained.
With a number of tumors showing up in various places, Timothy was referred to palliative car. He was transferred to hospice in Burlington from Aurora St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee, and Nancy recalls the great support they received in the hospital suite at Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington.
“It was just an awesome place,” she said.
Timothy Iverson died on April 6, 2013, and in the past year, Nancy Iverson found her dedication to the Hope Walk only continued to grow.
Her family started its own team in 2009 when her sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer, and in March of this year, Iverson’s father was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer.
“We need to raise awareness for cancer in general,” said Iverson. “This is three members of my family now.”
She also said the money staying local and helping programs like the hospice center was important.
“They were wonderful people,” she said.
Nancy will have support there on Saturday when she speaks, with her sister “as a backup,” she said.
“I’m hoping I’ll be able to pull it through,” she said. “Just share the story.”
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