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Healthwatch 16: Walking for Candy’s Place

FORTY FORT — 19 years ago, a young woman was diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer and died eight months later. Her sister opened a cancer wellness center ...
candys place Collage

FORTY FORT -- 19 years ago, a young woman was diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer and died eight months later.

Her sister opened a cancer wellness center in her memory and in her name: Candy's Place.

It's still open in Luzerne County and helps hundreds of patients and their caregivers each year.  This weekend is its biggest fundraiser.

A class worked up a sweat Monday morning at Candy's Place in Forty Fort. Down the hall, director Chris Ostroski tells us it's just one of many services provided there.

"We are a cancer wellness center, and we provide all kinds of free services to anybody that's currently in treatment or one year post treatment," Ostroski explained.

There's a variety of exercise classes to choose from: personal training, reiki, massages, and peer group meetings.

There's even a room where patients can pick out a new wig or a scarf.

"Probably before I started my second round of immunotherapy, I decided to come in and see what it was all about," said Audrey Brozena of Carverton.

Brozena is in a cancer battle of her own and says she especially loves reiki, which is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation, said to promote healing.

"I enjoy the reiki tremendously.  I just sit there and relax, and it's very therapeutic, and I feel like a changed person when I'm through."

The best part?  Everything is free. Nothing is even billed to insurance.

Ostroski says that's what makes this weekend's Rainbow Walk so important.

"Grants, donations, and fundraisers," said Ostroski. "We don't receive any federal, state, or local funding at all."

This will be the 19th annual Rainbow Walk. Ostroski calls them fun and inspirational.

The very first walk was organized by a woman who wanted to honor her sister Candy, who was only in her 40s when she died of late-stage lung cancer 19 years ago.

"They wanted something good to come out of her illness.  At the time there was nothing, other than a doctor's office, that patients could go to," said Ostroski.

The proceeds of the Rainbow Walk were used to open Candy's Place.

Fast forward to now, and Ostroski says they saw 60 percent more patients last year than the year before. She suspects people are becoming more aware of the services they provide.

The Rainbow Walk is a 2-mile fun walk that begins at 10 a.m. at the Kirby Park Pavilion.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. It costs $25 prior to the walk, $30 the day of, and all proceeds will go to right back to Candy's Place.

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