Published: Monday, August 16, 2010
Mother, daughter battling cancer
A Lake Stevens woman finds out her illness came back a week before her daughter is diagnosed
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Kristi O'Harran / The Herald
Sherri Pribble-Jones (center) offers a fundraiser at Alfy's in Granite Falls to defray medical costs incurred by Sarah Lien (right). Lien's mother, Barb Hawkins (left), underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction a week before finding out her daughter, 24, has a rare form of breast cancer.
Sarah Lien, 24, experienced the harsh realities of cancer in the third grade, when her mother, Barb Hawkins of Lake Stevens, underwent a lumpectomy and radiation for breast cancer.
That should be enough medical misery for one family, but that's not nearly the end of the destruction.
During Hawkins' radiation treatments, she became buddies with Sherri and Dave Pribble of Lake Stevens.
Former Herald columnist Linda Bryant wrote several stories in the mid-1990s about Dave Pribble as he underwent treatments in Mexico and Texas for brain cancer.
He died in 1998 at age 38.
Sherri Pribble stayed friends with Barb Hawkins, and her husband, Jim Hawkins. The Hawkinses helped the young widow and her two children carry on after Dave Pribble's death. Pribble said the Hawkins daughters became like her own children.
She remarried eight years ago to Bob Jones.
Five years ago, when Barb Hawkins, a nurse at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, passed her cancer-free, 10-year anniversary, the two couples went on a celebration cruise.
Life bubbled with good health and promise.
Hawkins' daughter, Sarah, married Kirk Lien, her high school sweetie, three years ago. They shared dreams about owning a house, having babies and getting a puppy.
At the end of 2009, Sarah Lien's mom, Barb Hawkins, had a routine mammogram.
There was a lump.
Cancer was back.
Hawkins' breasts were removed, she underwent chemotherapy, and had reconstructive surgery. A week after the surgery, the unimaginable happened: her daughter, Sarah Lien, saw a doctor about a quickly growing lump in her breast. Doctors wanted to start chemotherapy immediately. She was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer.
Lien, who lives in Snohomish, carries the BRCA2 gene from her father's side of the family. Being positive for the gene means a person is "high risk" for both hereditary ovarian and breast cancer.
Her paternal grandfather had breast cancer, Lien said.
She finished an 18-week round of chemotherapy. Next month, she expects to undergo a recommended double mastectomy.
Lien worked with a fertility clinic to harvest her eggs. She and her husband have 17 embryos frozen and stored in Nevada. They will be ready when the Liens start a family.
The fertility procedure cost thousands of dollars. The Liens relied on the ambitious support of Sherri Pribble-Jones to raise money. Pribble-Jones, who owns Alfy's in Granite Falls with her husband, learned firsthand about 15 years ago how to find donors to help those with cancer.
She raised $6,000 a month for her husband's treatments in Texas. That was without the help of social websites.
"It was truly remarkable, the amount of people who expressed so much love and support through my husband's cancer," Pribble-Jones said. "That is probably why I am so passionate about it. The only comfort I can find in my loss is that God will use me in some way to encourage and help others facing the same journey."
Pribble-Jones organized a fundraiser to help pay for Lien's expenses. It's called "Sarah's Hope, a Breast Cancer Journey Through Eyes of Faith." Between 5 and 8 p.m. Wednesday at all Alfy's locations, purchase a large or extra-large pizza at the regular menu price and Alfy's will donate $5 to the cause.
Lien writes a blog about her journey with cancer, sprinkled with passages about her blessings.
Sarah and Kirk Lien attend Arlington Assembly of God Church. Sarah Lien commends her 24-year-old husband, who works for the Snohomish School District in the information technology department, for his unwavering support.
"We never thought in our wildest dreams that two years into our marriage we would face losing each other," she said. "Not only did I marry my best friend, I married my biggest fan. He cheers me on every day."
Barb Hawkins said she has fought cancer twice, for the well being of her family as well as herself.
"Fifteen years ago, I did what the doctors said, so I could be around for Sarah and her sister," Barb Hawkins said. "My expectation is that Sarah will do everything she can to stay with us."
Hawkins prays her daughter sees in her living proof of victory over cancer -- and hope.
Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
Fundraiser
Alfy's pizza hosts a fundraiser for "Sarah's Hope, a Breast Cancer Journey Through Eyes of Faith," from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at all Alfy's locations. Purchase a large or extra-large pizza at the regular menu price and Alfy's will donate $5 to the cause.
Lien's blog
Sarah Lien blogs about her disease -- and blessings. Go online to http://www.sarahshope2010.blogspot.com.
That should be enough medical misery for one family, but that's not nearly the end of the destruction.
During Hawkins' radiation treatments, she became buddies with Sherri and Dave Pribble of Lake Stevens.
Former Herald columnist Linda Bryant wrote several stories in the mid-1990s about Dave Pribble as he underwent treatments in Mexico and Texas for brain cancer.
He died in 1998 at age 38.
Sherri Pribble stayed friends with Barb Hawkins, and her husband, Jim Hawkins. The Hawkinses helped the young widow and her two children carry on after Dave Pribble's death. Pribble said the Hawkins daughters became like her own children.
She remarried eight years ago to Bob Jones.
Five years ago, when Barb Hawkins, a nurse at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, passed her cancer-free, 10-year anniversary, the two couples went on a celebration cruise.
Life bubbled with good health and promise.
Hawkins' daughter, Sarah, married Kirk Lien, her high school sweetie, three years ago. They shared dreams about owning a house, having babies and getting a puppy.
At the end of 2009, Sarah Lien's mom, Barb Hawkins, had a routine mammogram.
There was a lump.
Cancer was back.
Hawkins' breasts were removed, she underwent chemotherapy, and had reconstructive surgery. A week after the surgery, the unimaginable happened: her daughter, Sarah Lien, saw a doctor about a quickly growing lump in her breast. Doctors wanted to start chemotherapy immediately. She was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer.
Lien, who lives in Snohomish, carries the BRCA2 gene from her father's side of the family. Being positive for the gene means a person is "high risk" for both hereditary ovarian and breast cancer.
Her paternal grandfather had breast cancer, Lien said.
She finished an 18-week round of chemotherapy. Next month, she expects to undergo a recommended double mastectomy.
Lien worked with a fertility clinic to harvest her eggs. She and her husband have 17 embryos frozen and stored in Nevada. They will be ready when the Liens start a family.
The fertility procedure cost thousands of dollars. The Liens relied on the ambitious support of Sherri Pribble-Jones to raise money. Pribble-Jones, who owns Alfy's in Granite Falls with her husband, learned firsthand about 15 years ago how to find donors to help those with cancer.
She raised $6,000 a month for her husband's treatments in Texas. That was without the help of social websites.
"It was truly remarkable, the amount of people who expressed so much love and support through my husband's cancer," Pribble-Jones said. "That is probably why I am so passionate about it. The only comfort I can find in my loss is that God will use me in some way to encourage and help others facing the same journey."
Pribble-Jones organized a fundraiser to help pay for Lien's expenses. It's called "Sarah's Hope, a Breast Cancer Journey Through Eyes of Faith." Between 5 and 8 p.m. Wednesday at all Alfy's locations, purchase a large or extra-large pizza at the regular menu price and Alfy's will donate $5 to the cause.
Lien writes a blog about her journey with cancer, sprinkled with passages about her blessings.
Sarah and Kirk Lien attend Arlington Assembly of God Church. Sarah Lien commends her 24-year-old husband, who works for the Snohomish School District in the information technology department, for his unwavering support.
"We never thought in our wildest dreams that two years into our marriage we would face losing each other," she said. "Not only did I marry my best friend, I married my biggest fan. He cheers me on every day."
Barb Hawkins said she has fought cancer twice, for the well being of her family as well as herself.
"Fifteen years ago, I did what the doctors said, so I could be around for Sarah and her sister," Barb Hawkins said. "My expectation is that Sarah will do everything she can to stay with us."
Hawkins prays her daughter sees in her living proof of victory over cancer -- and hope.
Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
Fundraiser
Alfy's pizza hosts a fundraiser for "Sarah's Hope, a Breast Cancer Journey Through Eyes of Faith," from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at all Alfy's locations. Purchase a large or extra-large pizza at the regular menu price and Alfy's will donate $5 to the cause.
Lien's blog
Sarah Lien blogs about her disease -- and blessings. Go online to http://www.sarahshope2010.blogspot.com.
Story tags »
• Health • Human Interest • Religion • Arlington • Everett • Granite Falls • Lake Stevens • SnohomishComments
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