Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-31-17

Features
1st Annual Fall ‘Trunk Or Treat’ Festival Planned
TONYA LEWIS
... Founder of Children With A Vision, Inc.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In an effort to ease the qualms of the community, two organizations have joined forces to host the 1st Annual Fall Festival. The event will take place on Tues- day, October 31st, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will be held at the Columbus Plaza, 5008 E. 10th Avenue, Tampa, 33619.
Ms. Tonya Lewis,
founder of Children With A Vision, Inc., and Gary Onzy, owner of Bounce Boy, Inc., will offer trick or treating with a unique twist. Instead of the children going house to house, they will go car to car. They are calling the event “Trunk Or Treat.”
Ms. Lewis said, “There is so much tension in the com- munity about the Seminole Heights killings that we wanted to do something for the kids in a safe haven. Our goal is to have enough candy for 1,500 kids.
“In addition to police, we
GARY ONZY
... Owner of Bounce Boy, Inc.
have hired extra security for this event. It is designed to create a safe zone and will be well lighted.”
The event will feature up to 23 cars decorated in accor- dance with the event. The children will go from car to car to collect their treats. Then, they will have an op- portunity to go inside and enjoy the bounce house.
The individuals decorat- ing their vehicles will have a chance to win a $50 gas card.
Ms. Lewis said this is a family-friendly event and children are encouraged to dress in costumes. However, she said, “NO scary costumes, please.”
In addition to the candy giveaway, there will be ven- dors, representatives from local businesses, food, drinks, arts & crafts, face painting, music, entertainment, and more.
For more information, contact Ms. Lewis at (813) 235-5656 or Gary Onzy at (813) 241-5553.
Support System Is Important To Survive Cancer
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In the past, cancer was a word not spoken out loud. In fact, it is whispered and of- tentimes not shared with family members or friends.
But others have found that when the information is shared, help is standing by. And that help comes in sev- eral forms of support.
The Sentinel is sharing the stories of some cancer survivors in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Mrs. Stevelyn Defre- itas recalls the day she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. It was in June 2016. And, this news was coupled with more bad news.
“At the time of my diag- nosis, I did not have health insurance. It was bad enough to get this devastat- ing news and then to top it off, I had no way to finance my treatment,” she recalled.
But all was not lost and God was listening to her prayers. Mrs. Defreitas’ help came about in a very unexpected method.
Rather than keep the heartbreaking news to her- self, she shared her situation with a dear friend of 20 years. He was out of town at the time and had called her.
“He asked how I was doing and I proceeded to tell him about my situation. The Lord blessed me in an unbe- lievable way. My friend of 20 years married me so that I could get healthcare and start my treatment.”
Now, more than a year later, Mrs. Defreitas is cancer free and living a nor- mal life with her husband. “He is very caring and lov- ing, and I am grateful,” she said.
Ms. Sydrena Os- borne’s story goes back to 2010, when she was diag- nosed with stage 3 Ductal carcinoma in situ. She was diagnosed with cancer in her milk ducts, but it was not an aggressive form of cancer.
At the time, there was no family history of cancer on either side. Instead of taking the recommended treat- ment, Ms. Osborne de- cided to have a double mastectomy followed imme-
MRS. STEVELYN DEFREITAS
diately by reconstruction. As she traveled on this journey, she was surrounded
by a strong support system. “I had an awesome med- ical team at Tallahassee Me- morial Cancer Center, Florida Cancer Specialists, and Tallahassee Plastic Sur- gery Center. My family, church family, co-workers, and friends were more than I could ask for. Their prayers were definitely felt, and I re- mained in good spirits due
to them.”
Initially, she went into
remission. However, a year and a half later, in 2012, the cancer returned in several lymph nodes. This time it was aggressive. So the doc- tors sought out to treat it ag- gressively.
“I underwent radiation 5 days a week. Due to the ag- gressive radiation treat- ments, I sustained very severe burns to my upper body, and the right side of my reconstruction was ru- ined. I was very tired and be- came a little discouraged,” she said.
But her motivation and desire to beat the cancer came in the form of her young daughter. “I had to fight for my daughter. She was only four and a half when I was first diagnosed, but she was my little care- giver.
“In December 2013, I was diagnosed with cancer for a 3rd time. That’s 3 times in three and a half years!
“What I felt was inde- scribable. I had just moved to Tampa earlier that year after accepting another job position. I was away from my core support system, but thank God family was here, too. Again, it was aggressive which meant it needed to be
MS. SYDRENA OSBORNE
treated aggressively.
“I immediately went into
chemotherapy, then surgery, and finally radiation, all at Moffitt Cancer Center. And, they were super.”
The process spanned nearly a year and this time, her body didn’t respond as well. However, instead of complaining, Ms. Osborne decided to make the most of a bad situation.”
“I felt like a totally differ- ent person; I wasn't used to feeling that way,” she re- called.
But instead of feeling sorry for herself Ms. Os- borne simply changed her attitude.
Even today, that feeling hasn't gone away, and it may never go away. However, she adopted a new outlook on life. “This is my new normal; so I live my new normal, but I live it to the fullest.”
Both ladies are members of Sisters Network of Tampa Bay, an organization de- signed to bring awareness of breast cancer to African American men and women.
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017