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Monster Mash Bash Fundraiser

SCRANTON — Cancer does not discriminate. That’s what one woman from Lackawanna County learned this year. She’s dealing with a cancer diagnosis...

SCRANTON -- Cancer does not discriminate. That's what one woman from Lackawanna County learned this year. She's dealing with a cancer diagnosis, despite being described by more than one person as the healthiest person they know.

And there's a benefit, or more of a party this weekend, in her honor.

Susan Burke of Clarks Summit is a coach with the Scranton Running Company. She does cross fit, recently became a personal trainer, and earlier this year was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Susan tells us she had a persistent pain in her right side, and thought she'd pulled a muscle.

"What they found is it had blocked off the opening to my appendix, so the pain I was feeling was inflammation of the appendix or appendicitis because the tumor had grown into it. Which actually saved my life," said Burke.

At 48 years old, Susan had colon cancer and points out that she's grateful for that side pain. Had she waited until 50 to get her first colonoscopy, it would have been too late. Three surgeries later, including one to remove a portion of her colon, she's now undergoing chemotherapy.

Susan met with us at the Ice Box Complex in Scranton, where this weekend a few of her friends are having a fundraiser in her honor. A party, she prefers to call it: the Monster Mash Bash featuring food, drinks, and music. Money raised will help Susan and her family with her treatment.

Susan says her friends have also outdone themselves on raffle baskets. There's a lot up for grabs, including a handmade bar cart.

While we were doing this story, another friend dropped off baskets for the bash.

Caroline Toth's granddaughter knows Susan's daughter well.

"She's a special person to us, too. it means a lot. we like to do things like this."

If you go, you can wear a costume, if you'd like. Susan quips that she's going as a semi-colon.

She says she's grateful that her friends are looking out for her but more importantly, for the chance to get her message out there: don't assume that because you're healthy, cancer can't happen to you.

"I didn't have any of the common risk factors, poor diet, obesity, and lack of exercise," she said. "I'm hoping that if nothing else comes from this, people get their screenings: mammograms, pap smears, colonoscopies. Nobody likes to go. You're just like everyone else, just go in and get it done!"

The Monster Mash Bash for Susan Burke is this Saturday from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., at the Ice Box Complex in Scranton. Age 14 to get in, age 21 to drink, of course. Tickets will be $20 at the door.

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