MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU Healthcare providers will honor cancer survivors and the people who care for them during the annual Cancer Survivors’ Day Celebration at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26 at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa in Morgantown. The event is a joint effort of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and WVU Hospitals.
Participants will be treated to a dinner and guest speaker Kevin Murphy, author of “Surviving Cancer after Surviving Cancer,” will share his experience and lessons learned in the wake of his wife’s cancer diagnosis.
Through his award-winning book, Murphy candidly relives what he calls the dark side of cancer that ultimately destroyed the couple’s relationship. “We beat the physical part of cancer, but the marriage didn’t survive,” he said. “I’m telling my story to help other cancer couples and especially men deal with the emotional side of cancer. We need to understand each other better and communicate better.”
Murphy attended last year’s cancer survivors’ day celebration in Morgantown when his book was still a manuscript. “When I saw all those patients lining up to give hugs to Dr. (Jame) Abraham and his staff, I was blown away and it moved me to finish my book,” Murphy said.
“We’re happy to have Kevin join us again this year to celebrate and honor our patients,” Jame Abraham, M.D., medical director of the Cancer Service Line of WVU Healthcare, said. “We hope that his personal testimony will resonate with them and encourage them to keep the lines of communication open with their loved ones and to let us know how we can help with any survivorship issues they may be experiencing.”