“You just can’t help but want to help them,” said Shelley Utz as tears welled up in her eyes.
Since April, the Greenwood nurse has been volunteering her time to help children who have been diagnosed with cancer and their families.
The volunteer work began when she became involved with the Chris Hope Foundation, a nonprofit based in Olive Branch that provides families battling childhood cancer with monetary gifts or items as necessary for them to maintain their daily lives.
“This is just a different opportunity to give back, because it’s not just giving back to a hospital. It’s on a more personal level,” said Utz. “You get close to these kids, and you fall in love with them if you spend a few hours with them.”
Utz spearheaded the upcoming Milwaukee Tool Giving Hope 5K Race, which will be held Saturday.
Her son, Andrew, who works at Milwaukee as does his father, Michael, is featured on all of the promotional material. That’s because a year ago the Utz family was in the same situation as many of the families that Shelley Utz now helps.
Andrew, now 22, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October 2015.
“We had surgery here in Greenwood, and we found out that it was malignant,” his mother said.
After the surgery to remove the tumor, Utz had to immediately take her son to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to ensure that the cancer had not spread. She was told to pack for two weeks and that Andrew’s stay at the hospital could possibly be longer.
“It’s devastating when you hear the words that your child has cancer,” said Utz. “It’s kind of like somebody is far away, and they are telling you something. You are hearing it, but you don’t really understand it. It’s just like the ground beneath your feet is crumbling, and you’re falling, and you’re reaching to catch yourself but you can’t.”
Utz said that her whole world was in a tailspin as soon as she got the call from St. Jude.
“When Andrew was diagnosed with cancer, I’m a nurse and I know the realities, but I thought I was out of the childhood cancer range,” said Utz. “I wasn’t. I was there at St. Jude with my 21-year-old. You talk about a wake-up call. You never know when (cancer) is going to strike someone you love.”
The Utz family was one of the fortunate ones, the mother of three said.
“We were there for two weeks, and he had scans and labs,” said Utz. “It came back all clear. The cancer was completely contained and was all removed during surgery.”
Andrew continues to get scans every six months to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned. A chance remains up to 10 years.
While Utz and her son were staying in Memphis, they met many families also dealing with childhood cancer.
“People don’t realize the reality of childhood cancer until you’re actually faced with it,” Utz said. “I always say that if you haven’t spent an hour with a child with cancer, you do not know the true definition of courage, because those kids are so courageous.”
Utz said the facility where she and her son stayed included many families of cancer patients, ranging from just a few months old to those in their 20s.
“It’s just a very humbling experience to see that and to understand the struggles,” she said.
While there, Utz met Chris Hope, who is the founder of the Chris Hope Foundation.
“One night, there was this man who came in, and I saw all the excitement with the kids when he walked in,” said Utz. “You could tell that something was going on, and they all just flocked to him as soon as he walked through the door.”
That evening, Hope had set up an Uno tournament for the children and brought a big trophy for the winner.
“The kids were solely focused on that card game and beating (Hope) and not about what they had been through that day or what they faced tomorrow,” she said. “I did some research, and I found out it was Chris Hope and learned more about what he did and got to know him.”
Utz became more involved with the Chris Hope Foundation after Andrew’s first six-month scans came back clear in the spring.
“I just feel like I need to give back, and I’ve become wholeheartedly involved with this,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to bring this race to Greenwood and have our community become more aware about childhood cancer.”
The Chris Hope Foundation not only helps families financially but also provides birthday parties, tickets to baseball and football games, bowling and other fun activities that parents who are missing work to be with their sick children could not otherwise afford.
“We just try to provide an outlet. It’s just an escape from reality for a little while, if we can relieve one burden or provide a smile or laughter,” said Utz. “We don’t just issue a check, and that’s it. It’s a forever friendship. We pray for these kids and pray for the families.”
All proceeds from Saturday’s race will go to the Chris Hope Foundation.
The event will start at 8 a.m. at Bankston Elementary School. Participants can choose to walk or run the 3.1- mile course throughout North Greenwood.
Preregistration is available at www.racesonline.com/events/giving-hope-5k-greenwood.
Registration will also be held starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday at the school.
The fee is $25 and includes a T-shirt, a finisher’s medal and a meal at the post-race party, which will be held at Clerico Park. Only those who preregistered will be guaranteed a T-shirt.
The post-race party will include concessions and a concert by Odiss Kohn, a country music singer/songwriter based in Nashville, who is a Greenwood native.
Trophies will be awarded to the fastest overall male and female competitors and the largest team.
For more information about Milwaukee Tool Giving Hope 5K, see its Facebook page.
For more information about the Chris Hope Foundation, visit www.chrishopefoundation.org.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
