Cancer survivors celebrate canine companions at Wheaton event

Gail Diedrichsen didn't want to be at the hospital.

"I was feeling so down because it was the holidays," she said. "I was in the middle of cancer treatment and having to go into the hospital with a blood clot. I was just feeling depressed."

When a nurse asked Diedrichsen if she would like to have a visitor, the Naperville woman hesitated. Who could it be?

There was a knock on the door and the nurse's black lab mix bounded into the room, tail wagging.

"It was just such an uplifting experience," Diedrichsen said. "I told myself at that point, I'm going to get well, and I'm going to get out of this place.'"

Canine companions that have helped cancer patients through their battle are the focus of the American Cancer Society's Bark for Life event taking place Saturday, Sept. 12, at Danada Forest Preserve, 3S580 Naperville Road, in Wheaton.

In 2013, Bark For Cancer events were held in Elmhurst and Aurora. Samantha Kuderna, community manager for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life events, said the two were combined into one DuPage County event last year.

"It is pretty inspiring," Kuderna said. "(The participants) have a very strong bond with their dogs. A lot of them have expressed how their dogs have been there for them as they went through treatment."

The fundraiser begins with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by a noncompetitive 1-mile walk, games, agility demonstrations and contests like best costume, best trick, fastest eater and longest kiss with your dog. Diedrichsen will speak at the ceremony, to share how she was inspired to adopt her own therapy dog after she finished treatment.

"I was a survivor, and I knew that I wanted to have a survivor. He survived death row and I guess, in a way, I did too," she said.

Now, Diedrichsen and her dog, Brody, visit schools through the Naperville Area Humane Society's Paws for Tales program, which helps children feel more comfortable by reading aloud to a dog. It's been a rewarding experience for them both.

"Cancer survivors, sometimes, once they have a new lease on life, decide to do something really meaningful with life," Diedrichsen said.

Registration is $20 in advance and includes entry for one dog. Everyone who registers online at www.relayforlife.org/backdupageil will receive a purple Bark For Life bandanna and a goody bag with gifts from Two Bostons and Camp Bow Wow. Participants who register on the day of the event, starting at 8 a.m., will pay $30.

Proceeds will go toward the American Cancer Society's nationwide research, local patient services and preventive programs.

"I would encourage people to attend because we need to find a cure for cancer," Diedrichsen said. "We need to find what this thing is all about and how to prevent it and better methods to cure it."