Village Walk for Cancer Research on Sept. 29
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — If there are ever two people that were meant for each other, it is Lisa and Bill Goodwin. They are coming up on their 24th wedding anniversary and love sharing their passion for Hot Springs Village.
Lisa Goodwin grew up in Hot Springs, as her father was manager of the Majestic Hotel. “She has fond memories of working at the hotel, playing in the pool and going to school in Hot Springs. Her idyllic memories came to an end in 1988. Lisa was just 29 years old when she lost both of her parents less than three months apart, her mother from a long illness and her father in a car accident,” according to the press release.
Lisa Goodwin went in for a regular OB/GYN exam when her doctor found a lump in her left breast. A biopsy was done and she received the confirmation on Oct. 31, 1988, that it was cancer. Her doctor recommended a lumpectomy with radiation. A second opinion was to have a mastectomy. Since her cancer, ductal carcinoma in-situ, wasn’t invasive, she opted for the lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation at CARTI, which allowed her to continue working at Mountain Valley Water Co.
In 1990, during a routine mammogram, they found another lump in her left breast. After a failed needle biopsy and the news of recurrence, she decided to have the mastectomy with reconstruction and get on with her life. In 2000, when Lisa was 42, she had a partial hysterectomy due to tumors found in her uterus. “Lisa smiled and said that she hasn’t had any problems since.”
Bill Goodwin started his story by sharing some of his past accomplishments, such as building the Aquarium and Gift Shop in Hot Springs. He was elected president of the Downtown Merchants Association and “noticed Lisa when she came to the meeting. Bill’s lady friend had ovarian cancer and died one day before Lisa’s father’s accident. Due to her cancer diagnosis, Lisa was hesitant to enter into a relationship, but Bill supported her with his friendship during that time. They were married in 1994.”
Bill Goodwin loves to fish and two years ago, out on Lake Ouachita, he found a lump in his lower groin. Thinking it was just an enlarged lymph gland, an urgent care doctor gave him a round of antibiotics. That didn’t work and a biopsy confirmed cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and the oncologist wanted to start treatment right away. He didn’t think twice, told them he was going fishing for the month of November in coastal Alabama and would get this done when he got home.
After a successful fishing trip, he started his treatment. Each Monday, for six weeks, he made the trip to Genesis, then it was every eight weeks for a year and then once every three months for maintenance. He had his latest treatment last month. “Bill says he is here because of cancer research. He says his treatment is a biological chemo that causes his body to form antibodies that his own body will not form naturally. These antibodies find and destroy those particular cancer cells. He is grateful for the research that has
provided him this treatment.”
Bill and Lisa Goodwin are cancer survivors and know firsthand the benefits of research. They are walking this year and are looking forward to seeing their friends, family and neighbors walking with them at the 17th Annual Village Walk for Cancer Research starting at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 29 at the Balboa Pavilion, 476 Ponce de Leon Drive. Walker registration fees are $35 and includes a T-shirt. This year, participants can bring their old documents for secure shredding, eat brats and hot dogs, get a ride in a corvette, get a flu shot, bid on silent auction items and walk. See website http:// walkforcancerresearch.org for more information.
“Your support will help us reach our goal to raise $50,000 for the ‘Seeds of Science Program’ at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS.” Plan on joining in as participants celebrate the lives of cancer survivors and remember and honor those who have lost their lives to the disease.
For more information, call Melanie Pederson at 608-6920458 or email chairman@walkforcancerresearch.org.