 Who Was Karen?
by Maria Shafer
Karen Adelma McDuffie. I knew her from the day I was born, not long after which she tried to trade me for a puppy. And for forty one years of my life, she remained my big sister. I loved her, she loved me, we laughed, we fought, we were friends, and sometimes enemies. But, then, that made us family. That made us sisters.
Karen loved the musical Evita, among others. In that particular show, Evita Peron has a farewell speech to the people of Argentina just before she dies. The star sings a line that includes the words “sad to be defeated by her own weak body.” That makes me think of Karen. She had the spirit, the drive, the fight…but her body just couldn’t keep up. I guess it’s like putting a Space Shuttle engine into a street-bound family sedan. It just can’t keep up with the energy that the engine, the heart, and the soul that is the person, herself. You see, cancer defeated Karen’s body, not Karen.
This is why we chose her initials, K.A.M., to start the KAM Cancer Connection. Karen provided inspiration to countless numbers of people, starting with her own friends and family. One of her gifts to this world was a courage that she shared with anyone who paused to listen.
As she would have done, KAM Cancer Connection provides more than financial assistance to Lake County cancer survivors in need of help with testing and medication. Locally, we can provide one-to-one and group support, counseling and understanding. KAM also provides information, links, knowledge and facts for anyone who is willing to read, point, and click.
There is a Norwegian Proverb that says, “A hero is one who knows how to hang on one minute longer.” Karen was more than a wife, a mother of two beautiful children, a daughter, a sister, a friend...she was the person that taught me that one minute more leads to more minutes…courage breeds courage, laughter produces more laughter, and hands hold other hands. Through KAM Cancer Connection, we can continue to share that faith and that message. From this minute, to the next…and into the future. Thank you Karen…for the courage, for the inspiration, and for having a heart that was bigger than the universe.
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