Rather than ask why she is the victim of breast cancer, Jacquie Connell is keeping a positive outlook and enjoying life, even if doctors are right in saying she has only two years to live.
“No one knows when they’re going to die. They don’t,” said Connell, 48, of Boxwood Road. “I feel lucky that I’ve been given a few years to prepare and spend time with my family and children and do things with people that you maybe wouldn’t do.”
One thing she will continue to do is paint. Connell, who specializes in local scenes, has done some work for the Delaware Art Museum and the Wilmington Flower Market – including its 2008 poster -- and had a booth at the Italian Festival last year.
The odds are grim for Connell. She had been a Patterson-Schwartz Greenville office receptionist for six years until she was diagnosed in April with stage four cancer that spread to her bones. She underwent 12 doses of radiation therapy for a spine tumor at the Helen Graham Cancer Center and she takes medication everyday.
| Garbage to life-saving gold
What: Jacquie Connell cancer benefit garage sale When: 8 a.m. Sat, July 11 Where: The gym at Salesianum School, 1801 N. Broom St., Needed: Non-perishable items in good condition, and volunteers to plan, organize and staff the sale ----- psregaragesale@gmail.com (302) 622-9247 |
But she can't work and has no insurance, so to help out, colleagues at Patterson-Schwartz have organized a garage sale. With the mantra, “one man's garbage is another man's gold,” they are hoping people will donate non-perishable, usable items and/or their time to the event.
“We just really care about her and want to help her through this really difficult time,” said Terri Sensing, of Patterson-Schwartz. “She’s got two teenagers. We’re just trying to figure out what to do.”
Connell said she is blown away by the support and plans to attend the garage sale with a large contingent of family, including her daughter, Brittany DelleDonne, 20, and son, Gabriel DelleDonne III, 17, as well as partner, Chris LaMarche and his children, Tanner, 20, and Conner, 17.
“We’re going to try to beat this,” Connell said. “We’re being very positive. My family and friends have been great. We’re just going to do the best we can to follow the doctor’s orders.
“A positive attitude has a lot to do with how you wake up everyday and face it.”
