BRODHEAD — On Friday, August 5, the Relay for Live of Green County invites the public to honor and remember loved ones and fight back for lifesaving change at the Jaycee Park in Brodhead. 

Relay For Life of Green County’s event begins at 5 p.m. with an opening ceremony. Cancer survivors and caregivers will take a celebratory first lap. Local DJ, Hugo Espinoza will provide music throughout the evening and the evening will end with a luminaria ceremony to remember those we’ve lost to cancer and celebrate all cancer survivors.

Relay for Life is a community of survivors, caregivers, local citizens, volunteers, and participants who believe that the future can be free from cancer and own the power to make that change.

“We share a passion to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer,” said Evelyn Crooks, a dedicated Relay For Life participant and cancer survivor. “This year, Amy Whiteman, a Monroe resident and business owner is our Honorary Survivor.” 

Imagine being in your 20s and hearing the word cancer.

Amy Whiteman grew up with her sister and experienced all the great things that Monroe has to offer. She was involved in theater through Monroe Theater Guild and Monroe High School. She also participated in high-school forensics, cross country, and youth group activities with Monroe Bible Church.

After graduating from high school, Amy attended UW-Eau Claire to study vocal music; however, she discovered it wasn’t the correct career path and left after her junior year to pursue massage therapy at East-West Healing Arts Institute. 

But before she left Eau Claire, cancer struck. During her sophomore year of college, Amy was home for the summer and she had trouble swallowing. Her mom made an appointment with Dr. Lara Salyer in Brodhead. During an ultrasound, a tumor was discovered next to her trachea.

“I remember going to the appointment alone and the doctor saying the word ‘cancer,’” said Amy. “In your 20s you never expect to hear that word, and at any age, it’s difficult to hear.”

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the most common cancer of the thyroid gland, generally slow spreading, poorly understood, but may involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Treatments, which are usually successful, including surgery, hormone therapy, radioactive iodine, radiation, and in some cases chemotherapy.

Amy said she felt as though she was a lucky one because she didn’t need radiation or any of the seemingly aggressive, intense treatments most people require to be rid of cancer. It was one surgery and it was all gone.

“In the fall, I was planning to serve as a resident assistant in a college dorm so surgery was scheduled immediately,” said Amy. “Dr. James Harding removed my thyroid and also discovered that cancer had spread to several lymph nodes.”

“The surgery was successful. Dr. Harding was able to remove all the cancer without damaging any of my parathyroid glands or vocal chords. As a vocal major at the time, I was relieved to hear this” added Amy. “Life was good. I finished my junior year at Eau Claire and transferred to East-West Healing Arts Institute to become a licensed massage therapist, and I was cancer-free.”

After earning her massage license, Amy established Iaomai Massage in Monroe — a practice that specializes in chronic pain management and deep tissue massage through the integration of Eastern and Western modalities. The word ‘Iaomai’ is the Greek written word meaning “to heal” or “make whole.” After practicing a couple years, she decided to begin the process of finishing her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at Concordia University-Chicago.

But her health battle wasn’t over. During a regular six-month check-up in February of 2020, her doctor, Sarah Smith, noticed that her calcium levels were high, which might be an indication that cancer had come back.

Dr. Smith discovered an adenoma or a type of polyp, or unusual growth of cells that form a small clump on the right side of Amy’s throat. 

“It’s rare for people younger than 50 to get adenoma so all of us were pretty confused at the diagnosis. After having cancer, I was initially pretty discouraged,” explained Amy.

In the midst of classes at Concordia, another surgery was scheduled at St. Mary’s in Madison. 

“This surgery was slower paced than the first surgery, the one-to-one care was great, and I had better tools to cope with the stress using the mind and body connection,” added Amy. “It was a challenge to keep up with class work in the midst of recovering from surgery, but my professors at Concordia were very understanding and accommodating.”

During her cancer journey, Amy said that she relied on friends and family, doctors and staff at hospitals and clinics.

“I’ve always been a very independent person and one of the lessons I learned from cancer was how to ask for help and to recognize that I have a community of friends and family who can help when I need help,” said Amy, who believes that stress sometimes manifests in a physical nature. “On this journey with cancer, I became more self-aware and discovered how to reach out to people for help to heal and process in a safe manner.” 

As a worship leader at the Albany United Methodist Church, Amy said she recalled hearing this from a pastor, “The storm is not there to punish you, it’s there to make you aware there is a problem.” 

Looking back, Amy learned there were some areas where growth and healing would be required. She would not have embarked on a healing journey had it not been for her cancer and adenoma diagnoses. 

Amy added that being surrounded by friends and family certainly made the journey easier. She appreciated that her parents had health insurance so everything was covered and she didn’t have financial worries. 

Family and friends cooked meals and were available to talk whenever needed.

These days, Amy is busy. She has her massage business; is a substitute teacher for the Monroe School District; works at Kwik Trip; and is a worship leader and plays piano at church. Her constant companions are her six-year-old Labrador retriever mix, Java, and her one-year-old hedgehog, Gus. 

As a talented artist, she dabbles in acrylics and watercolors and the art of pysanka or Ukrainian eggs that she sells at local art shows. In previous years, she sold eggs at the Monroe Farmers’ Market, New Glarus Farmers’ Market, and Christkindlmarkt in Monroe.

As Amy continues to navigate as a cancer survivor, she said that it’s important for people to be curious about cancer and the causes behind it.

“There is a purpose for everything that happens and it’s in that search to find out why is when we find our true self,” said Amy. “Things happen for us to learn from.”

Ways to Get Involved

●  Join the Relay For Life of Green County — Sign up to join an existing team or start a new team at relayforlife.org/greencountywi or by calling Jo Ann at 608.728.2980.

●  Donate — If you can’t participate in this year’s event, you can still help save lives by making a donation. Every dollar helps the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. Visit RelayForLIfe.org/Donate to make a donation today. 

“It’s never been easier to raise money for Relay For Life,” said Jo Ann Steuri, Relay For Life of Green County organizer. 

The event is supported by many local businesses and organizations including: Ruda Chevrolet-Toyota, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus Culver’s, Bank of Brodhead, RM Concrete, Woodford State Bank, Brodhead Chevrolet, and Jeremy Pinnow and Associates.

To learn more about Relay For Life in Green County, visit relayforlife.org/greencountywi or Facebook page, Relay For Life of Green County Wisconsin.