Laura Roessler, of Bishopville, says her friends described her as the picture of health. She is an avid jogger who is physically fit. She loves to cook using fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding red meat and preservatives. Then at age 48, before the age a colonoscopy is usually advised, she was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. “I was devastated,” she recalls. “My friends and family were in disbelief.”

Mrs. Roessler went through a 10-month treatment program. “It was difficult,” she says. “I’m surprised I made it through. There were days I thought I might not be able to continue treatment.”

Yet her husband, Donald, and their children were there to provide love, encouragement, and support. Her friends and neighbors were wonderful. They brought meals, drove back and forth from Bishopville to Tunnell Cancer Center in Rehoboth Beach, and sat with her during chemotherapy.

“It was the worst time of my life, yet I felt blessed.”

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