A Sully woman who has battled pancreatic cancer since 2003 will be the recipient of funds raised at a benefit in her honor this Saturday, Aug. 19. In addition to helping offset medical costs, the benefit will be a sign of community support for Nancy Vos – a reminder that when it comes to life’s trials, no one fights alone.
The event will include dinner, a silent auction, and raffles, lasting from noon to 6 p.m. at the Sully Community Center.
Nancy’s daughter, Susan Kennedy, came up with the idea of a benefit for her mom and has done all the planning for the event. As Nancy’s only daughter, Susan has been by her mom’s side throughout her cancer battle, even quitting her main job to be able to be with her mom more.
“I have been with her through every hospital stay, every ER visit, everything,” Susan said, adding, “It’s been a 14-year battle. The doctors have said .003 percent of people (with pancreatic cancer) have made it this long.”
Nancy, second from left, is seated with her family: Stepson Don Vos, husband Jim, daughter Susan, and son Jeromy. Vos has been battling pancreatic cancer since 2003. A benefit to help cover her medical expenses will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19.
Nancy’s battle began in December 2003, just months after marrying her second husband, James Vos, who works at Sully Transport. Nancy had been suffering from pancreatitis. Upon further doctoring, a pregnancy test showed positive even though she wasn’t pregnant. That’s when doctors confirmed Nancy had pancreatic cancer.
Things progressed very quickly from there. Nancy’s family was told they should say their goodbyes to her. Amazingly, however, Nancy pulled through, and doctors removed the main artery used for her pancreas.
In the years since then, Nancy has had three other major surgeries and three other kinds of cancer: Stomach cancer and tumors on her adrenal gland and bile duct.
Strong is the word Susan used to describe her mom, explaining how Nancy overcame breast cancer in the 90s and lost her first husband, Lonnie Stewart, in 2001 due to congestive heart failure and from complications of diabetes.
Nancy has continued to press on, making the most of things. She worked at Sully Transport for several years. She worked at Iowa Home Care until she became too sick to work for a while. Last school year, she worked at Lynnville-Sully School District as a teacher’s aide but then had to quit in February due to her health. Now, Nancy mostly stays home at the house in Sully where she has lived for about 30 years. She enjoys making memory quilts when she can.
Nancy’s husband Jim stays at her bedside during a recent Iowa City hospitalization.
Nancy has already had three surgeries this year after a big scare on her 62nd birthday on Feb. 12, when she was life flighted to Iowa City.
Nancy has had seven feeding tube replacements, and doctors have said they can’t do any more. She goes in for a checkup every four weeks in Iowa City. The goal now is to take extra care with the current feeding tube and to do their best to manage Nancy’s pain.
Since Nancy’s pancreas is inactive, she is on a feeding tube and is unable to eat or drink anything.
“Your pancreas produces all the enzymes to break down food and drinks,” Susan explained. “It also provides the insulin for the sugar in your body. So it’s not doing any of that.”
Susan said her mom is able to go out and about, takes life day by day, and is in “really good spirits” despite daily pain and having an open wound from a surgery earlier this year.
“She is definitely my hero,” Susan said.
Benefit Details
Kicking off the benefit, a silent auction will begin at noon. Raffle
tickets will be sold throughout the day for gift cards and other major
prizes, and a freewill donation supper will be served from 4-6 p.m. On the menu will be beef brisket, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, desserts, iced tea, and lemonade, served by the Sully Lions Club. The benefit will conclude with the raffle drawing at 6 p.m.
Prizes being raffled off are a quilt from The Quilted Windmill, $300 in carpet cleaning from Integrity Cleaning and Restorations, and half hogs with processing by Sully Locker & Market. Winners need not be present to win the half hogs.
T-shirts will be available to order for $15 each, with shirts arriving the week after the benefit. All money raised at the benefit will go to Nancy’s overall medical expenses. If Nancy feels well enough, she hopes to come to the benefit around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
