From diagnosis to red carpet: City of Hope cancer survivors celebrate 5 years of life
On Friday, Oct. 3, the parking lot outside City of Hope Cancer Center in Zion was filled with sunshine, cheers, and emotion as 358 cancer survivors marked a powerful milestone — five years since their diagnosis — with an event titled, “Celebrate Life.”
Those survivors included one family hit hard during the pandemic. Both Charlene Kuhler of Round Lake Beach and her stepmom, Fely Kuhler of Wadsworth, battled breast cancer in 2020.
Charlene, a former Zion Community Pageant director who now serves on the board for the Round Lake Area Pageant, says cancer has changed her. Kuhler’s message to the crowd at the annual Celebrate Life event was this, “I learned to embrace the new me and accept what life looks like now. I am not only a survivor, but am thriving and loving the new me.”
For years, Fely Kuhler worked in the payroll department for City of Hope. A devoted Christian with a heart of gold, Fely and her husband hosted holiday meals for cancer patients who couldn’t celebrate with their families. “That’s what my ministry was,” she said.
The Kuhlers also welcomed patients to stay in their home. What Fely said about receiving her own cancer diagnosis, “God gives you an experience. You don’t need a pulpit to share your message.”
Celebrate Life is annual event, honoring patients who have reached the five year survival mark. Many in this group faced their cancer journey in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Family members and friends joined in the festivities Friday, sharing hugs, tears, and laughter as survivors gathered for a group photo in front of the hospital’s iconic “HOPE” letters. It was a day filled with gratitude and joy, celebrating not just survival, but resilience, community, and the power of hope.
The event included a red-carpet walk, where each survivor was met with applause and cheers from family and friends, staff, and fellow survivors. Later, the group enjoyed a sit-down dinner where every honoree was introduced by name, along with a highlight of something meaningful they’ve accomplished in the past five years — from traveling and welcoming grandchildren to returning to careers and rediscovering passions.
Survivors who attended the event got to place their names on a tree of life located inside City of Hope Cancer Center in Zion.