Cape Cod cancer survivors celebrate – and are celebrated – at annual event
I was among the 108-plus cancer survivors and 63 guests who received a rousing welcome from members of Cape Cod Hospital oncology staff and volunteers at the 11th annual Cancer Survivors Day Celebration at the Hyport Conference Center in Hyannis on September 23, 2025.
Attendees received a raffle ticket for the possibility of winning one of the 75 creative baskets donated by hospital departments and physicians’ offices.
Informational booths dotted the ballroom and included the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod, Cape Cod Hospital Auxiliary, and Cape Wellness Collaborative.
Amongst the quiet hum of conversation and the occasional sound of laughter, participants greeted one another and chose a prepared boxed meal for their dinner to enjoy while listening to the presentation part of the celebration.
Michael Lauf, president and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare talked about the opening of the Edwin Barbey Patient Care Pavilion in May, which includes a new cancer center with state-of-the-art technology, 36 private infusion rooms, and the latest in linear accelerators for radiation treatment. Lauf also spoke about the services the healthcare system provides to cancer patients, including pharmacy and nutritional support, mental health, partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and community support programs including transportation.
“We want to make sure you have the services you deserve,” he said, in part. “The investment that we made in our community stays in our community, and our pledge moving forward is to be there for you and with you every step of the way. We congratulate you for your resilience, your incredibly positive attitude and for helping make us a better healthcare system.”
Inspirational Speaker
Maria Cashdollar of Forestdale spoke to the group and shared her journey with breast cancer.
“In September 2021, I found a lump in my breast. I had a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy. The days following were the four longest days of my life,” she said. “I received a call confirming what I suspected, I had breast cancer.”
She talked about the endless phone calls, tests and appointments. After she had a port implanted for her chemotherapy treatment, she started eight rounds of chemotherapy, had surgery to remove the cancer, followed by 20 rounds of radiation treatments.
In September, she celebrated three years and seven months of being cancer free.
“Cancer was a lightning bolt to the core of my being,” said Cashdollar. “It left a trail of destruction physically, mentally and spiritually. The scars from my surgery have healed well, and I am slowly losing the weight I gained during treatment.”
She said what is harder to measure is the impact of the emotional and spiritual costs. She started working with a counselor to help her navigate her feelings and figure out her priorities to care for herself. She retired from a career she loved in special education and took a trip to Alaska, a bucket list item, with her friend, who is also a breast cancer survivor. They called it the “M and M Victory Tour.”
“I would be remiss to not give cancer credit for all that it has taught me about living in the present,” Cashdollar said. “I’ve adopted the mantra one day, one task at a time, sometimes one moment. The road to today has been a long one and, thankfully, with a lot of effort and support, I am feeling stronger and like myself again. Not the old me, but rather a new and, dare I say, improved version of the woman I once was. I continue to be a work in progress and that’s okay.”
