Susan Dougherty, age 29, took a week of VACATION from work to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild homes for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. On this VACATION she suffered a seizure. The makeshift hospital dismissed her as being dehydrated and suffering heat exhaustion. Susan knew this was not the case, but quietly finished her trip and came home to Philadelphia. She knew something was wrong.
She engaged in her cancer battle when she had a craniotomy to remove as much of her Glioblastoma IV as possible. As is typical with this rare type of cancer, it could not be completely removed, and it would likely grow back.
Susan defied those odds for over sixteen months while she worked HARD at surviving. She took daily subway rides to UPenn for treatments during her lunch hour from work, and every other month the MRI read the same: no change. This was just incredible!
Susan was working as usual and thought she was coming down with the flu. It was awful news. While her previous tumor had not grown back as predicted, a new one had emerged in a different area of her brain. Another craniotomy, more chemo, more radiation.
This time was different. This time was full of pain and courageous rehabilitation. This time there was no getting better.
Despite it all, she continued to fight until the cancer took her from us in February 2008. This is the same kind of cancer that took the lives of people like Senator Ted Kennedy, baseball stars Tug McGraw and Bob Boone of the Phillies, Senator John McCain and Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden.
While Susan lost her personal battle, we promised her we would not let Cancer win the war. And so, as Susan would want, we fundraise to help others in their fights with cancer.
Following her first brain tumor operation, our founder Susan Dougherty formed a team to fundraise by participating in 5k's and bike rides. Susan led the team even while she was taking chemo and radiation. She set the example for the rest of us until her death in February, 2008. The team members continued forward as Susan had requested by participating in 5k's and establishing an annual golf tournament. In 2009 the Black Eyed Susans Team secured a 501 c 3 Registration from the IRS and was approved. The team has subsequently raised over $50,000.00 to fight cancer.
The team participates in 5k's. collecting donations, charity golf tournaments, community dining out nights, sports pools and memorial donations. Our current goals are donating our proceeds to the Neumours Foundation in support of kids with cancer at the A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE