by Sarah Lackner
I spent the third weekend in May in Asheville, North Carolina on behalf of the Meso Foundation at the 3rd Annual Charlie Cole Golf Classic hosted by Lynn Cole, along with her children, Matt and Katie, in memory of her husband, Charlie, who lost his battle with mesothelioma on March 31, 2010 after only 17 months.
I hadn’t met the Cole family prior to this weekend, but what occurred during that quick less-than-48-hour trip is exactly what the Foundation is about. The warmth and strength that the family displayed, their incredibly supportive and loving friends, as well as other local meso community members all contributed to making the day an absolute success.
Not only was I able to thank the Cole family for their commitment, their friends and family for their support, I was able to spend time truly connecting with each of them. Katie and I were the same age when we lost our parent and zipping around on the golf cart gave us a few hours to share our experiences, both of the loss and of life after the loss. Later that evening, Matt and I were able to also have those conversations that only occur with someone who has been through what we as a community go through. C.S. Lewis says that friendship is born that moment when one man says to another “What? You too? I thought that no one but myself…”
This event was, for me, everything that the Foundation works for: supporting research, education, support, and advocacy programs through raising funds and awareness as well as bringing together those affected by mesothelioma. It takes what is often an isolating disease and provides a place where if you want to talk about it, everyone understands, and if you don’t want to talk about it, everyone understands.
Thank you, so much, Lynn, Matt and Katie for allowing me to share the weekend with you. And thank you for believing in and working towards a cure.
