Swan River school celebrates life with LIVESTONG Day
By FAITH MOLDAN/Bigfork Eagle
The idea of sharing beauty and hope with cancer patients came to Shelley Emslie a year ago while hiking in Glacier National Park. Tired from the long hike to Ptarmigan Tunnel, Emslie glanced at her Livestrong bracelet and finished the hike for all the people unable to do it themselves.
Emslie decided she would take her hiking and scenic photos (Hope Images) and make books for cancer patients receiving treatment at area centers. The response and support from the treatment centers was immediate and amazing, according to Emslie. They wanted eight books, which was a little more than Emslie, a fifth-grade teacher at Swan River School, could do at that time, so she looked to her students.
In conjunction with her original idea, Emslie coordinated a Livestrong day at the school to raise cancer awareness and support. Held May 13, the event was one of 500 local Livestrong events held across the country. She said she received great support from her fellow teachers at the school.
"For me, cancer awareness is a passion," Emslie said. "It makes me tick."
Emslie, who's had friends affected by cancer, went around to each classroom and taught mini-lessons, provided by the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). After the lesson, students drew "Messages of Hope" pictures that will be compiled into books. Almost every student in the seventh-grade class knew someone who has cancer, survived or died from it.
"Your message of hope should be something from your heart and makes you smile," Emslie told one third-grade class.
One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Of Montana's 2,000 cancer-related deaths each year, 176 of them are in the Flathead Valley.
Besides the "Messages of Hope," Emslie also hopes to create a Survivorship Book featuring cancer survivors from the Flathead Valley with photographs and individual stories. Both the book and messages, as well as Emslie's Hope Images will allow chemotherapy recipients in the valley to read stories and see the faces of those who have been affected by cancer and survived.
"It's difficult to stay awake and watch an entire movie or read a book during chemotherapy," Emslie said. She said she hopes the images and messages spark a memory and gives the patients a bit of sunshine. "There's something you can do," she said.
If you are a cancer survivor and would like to be featured in the Survivorship Book, contact Emslie at 871-7437.