Big thrill for Cary resident at Cubs game

Aimee Suyko of Cary got the thrill of a lifetime Friday as she threw out a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field before the Cubs played the St. Louis Cardinals.

For the record, Suyko fired a strike to the Cubs' Justin Grimm.

"I did real well in the front yard, but that's a little different than being in the stadium here," she said. "The nerves are setting in a little bit. I practiced a lot. I threw some strikes this morning in the yard, so we'll see if I can do it out here.

"It's overwhelming. It's crazy. It's absolutely insane."

Suyko, the mother of triplets, is a breast-cancer survivor who is back to being healthy and strong after a year-and-a half of treatment that included a double mastectomy.

She was diagnosed with cancer in January 2013, and she received her treatment from Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.

"Advocate Good Shepherd does a whole breast-cancer awareness promotion in October," Suyko said. "So they asked me to be their promo girl this year. They've done interviews with me and pictures and are putting together a whole promotional campaign on it. They said they could bring a patient out here today. Since I've done so much in helping them out, they wanted me to throw out the first pitch. So here I am."

A personal trainer, Suyko said she kept a positive attitude throughout and received support from family, friends and community.

"Health is good," she said. "I've been in remission for a little over a year. As of February, it was a year. It makes you take a good look at your life. And I appreciate everything I have. There are a lot of bad stories out there, so to have a good one is nice. If this helps one woman, it'll all be worthwhile."