Bartlett woman, husband diagnosed with cancer

Trish Simon has taken on many roles in her life: wife, mother of two boys, nurse, volunteer firefighter.

Last year, the 35-year-old Bartlett woman became a patient when she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.

But her most role recent is that of caretaker.

In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, her husband, Jeff, was also diagnosed with cancer. The family got the news of his brain sarcoma in August.

"God is using us in a way that maybe we don't understand," says Trish Simon. "We're moving forward the only way we know how."

Now, the Bartlett community is rallying behind the Simons, who in turn hope to teach others along the way.

Fight of their lives

The fight of their lives began in March 2006, when Trish was diagnosed with her colon cancer. After a short remission, she's now on her third treatment regimen and receives weekly chemotherapy. She says there's been some improvement and she'll get a scan next month.

Shortly after the diagnosis, "Team Trish" was born. Friends, family and fellow firefighters came up with the concept, which quickly became a type of therapy.

The Web site teamtrish.org tells the Simons' story and sells Team Trish caps, shirts and decals. People can post messages, and thousands have come in.

"I want everyone to be in the loop, but it's just not possible to talk to everyone individually," Trish said. "It's keeping me connected."

It's also a way to keep close to her family in northern Wisconsin. Luckily, her parents have seen firsthand all the visitors and support.

"My mom cried and told me she'd never ask me to move home again," Trish said. "(She said,) 'You've got a home here.'"

Strive for normalcy

Keeping home as normal as possible is vital.

Trish has been able to continue her three-day-a-week job as Hanover Township's community health nurse.

"It's good for my mental state to keep some normalcy and routine in my life," said Trish, whose background, coincidentally, is in oncology.

She has, though, taken leave from her volunteer firefighter post with the Bartlett Fire Protection District.

"I miss it dearly," she says. "I miss the camaraderie and what they stand for, but I never want to be a liability, and right now I am. I don't want them to worry."

The firefighters have organized poker runs to raise money. At one event, friend Lee Beattie didn't hesitate to try a new look when Hoss' Roadhouse in Bartlett offered to donate $1,000 if a woman shaved her head.

The Black Tie Affair Day Spa & Salon in Bartlett, where Trish is a client, has also organized fundraising efforts.

Owner Debra Tashjian said she felt compelled to do something, partly because of her own experiences as a single mother who just went through her own near-death medical trauma.

"This is a very deserving family," she said.

The fundraisers, initially held for Trish, now honor two people.

In August, the unthinkable happened -- Jeff Simon was diagnosed with cancer, too.

The 41-year-old had a malignant tumor in his brain's connective tissue.

"Lightning isn't supposed to strike twice in the same place," Jeff said. "Some days I try to deny it just to keep things normal."

For two weeks, Jeff has been on short-term disability from his project manager job at Nortel, where he's worked for more than 20 years.

He took leave for his Oct. 12 cranial facial resection brain surgery. University of Chicago surgeons removed the tumor, along with some bone and olfactory nerves. He may never regain his sense of smell.

But Jeff did get some brighter news Tuesday. Doctors believe they got the entire tumor. There's no evidence the cancer has spread.

"We got the most positive results we could have hoped for," he said.

He'll next endure five-times-weekly radiation for seven weeks.

Lesson for others

Trish hopes a lesson can come from their situation.

She's young. She's healthy. There's no family history. And except for some itching, there weren't any symptoms.

"I still got cancer," she says. "I also waited a couple months to get checked out."

Don't do that, she pleads. Don't overlook anything.

Trish thinks her family is a pretty good job of dealing with a tough situation. They've had more than a year of practice, after all. She hopes people can learn to do the same in their own trials, whether it's an illness, loss or a life change such as divorce.

"Allow others to help you and know your limitations," Trish says. "Learn what works to get you through a day. And don't carry the weight yourself."

Grateful, prideful

Trish and Jeff are extremely grateful, but it's a struggle to accept money, meals or even offers to drive the kids.

"There's a reason I'm a nurse," she said. "I like to help others. But I've been told and I'm learning that helping is how others can deal with this."

The Simons have more bills than they've ever known. But they're smart with their finances and doing OK. Telling their story is not about gaining sympathy, she says. It's about educating others.

They'd like to keep the money they've been given in a fund. One day, they hope use it to help someone else, maybe as a scholarship to firefighter-paramedic school.

"I want Team Trish to become a legacy," she said.

How to help

• The Black Tie Affair & Day Spa, where Trish Simon is a client, is hosting a fundraiser in her honor. Ten percent of proceeds from Friday through Sunday will be donated to a fund supporting the Simon family. The salon is also selling $5 raffle tickets, with merchandise donated by local businesses, and is taking up a general collection at the salon, at 215 S. Main St. in Bartlett. Call (630) 830-4040 or go to blacktieaffairsalon.com.

• Donations can also be sent to Bartlett Fire Auxiliary, Team Trish Fund, P.O. Box 8163, Bartlett, IL 60103

• To learn more, go to teamtrish.org.