Four area women will receive Courage Awards during the Tamaqua-Carbon ACS telethon benefiting the American Cancer Association.

The annual telethon will be held today and Sunday at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe.This year's honorees are Lindsey Rascavage of Brockton; Natalie Kmetz of Jim Thorpe; Bonnie Myers of Lehighton; and Sandy Wychulis of Coaldale.The award presentations will begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Blue Ridge Cable TV 13, channel 90 in the Tamaqua-Mahanoy City Service Electric Cable area, and channels 2 and 50 in the Lehigh Valley on the Service Electric Cable system are televising the event.Natalie KmetzKmetz's illness started in the winter of 2013. On March 21, 2014, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. While under the care of Dr. Surendra Shah, an oncologist at the Lehighton Cancer Center, Kmetz underwent five blood transfusions between March 17 and May 9, after which her diagnosis was B-cell lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.After initial chemotherapy, which caused a reaction and left Kmetz with further illness, there was significant reduction to the lymphoid. The bad news, however, was that treatments couldn't continue because her white blood cell count was too high at 3,500."The cancer didn't bother me at all," Kmetz said. "It was the chemotherapy that really took a toll."With her illness having reached the life-threatening stage, Kmetz made an appointment at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, where she was treated by Dr. Jeffrey Pu. After several chemotherapy treatments, one which left her with an allergic reaction that caused her eyes to nearly swell shut, Kmetz had lost a little over 100 pounds.In late October, Kmetz went into septic shock and was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital. An immediate surgery revealed a perforated colon and the surgeon sucked out three gallons of bacteria."That was a real scare," Kmetz said. "I was dying and I know that if my husband Jack wouldn't have made me go to the hospital, I would have gone to bed and probably not have woken up."Kmetz was on life-support twice during six days in the intensive care unit. Between Lehigh Valley Hospital and the Lehighton Rehabilitation Center, she was in the hospital for 29 days.Kmetz began home health care treatment after her Nov. 24 discharge from the hospital, where she had gained 54 pounds of fluid.After Christmas, she began feeling better and her appetite improved. On Feb. 26, Dr. Pu gave her the news that she was cancer free."I didn't cry when I found out I had cancer, but I cried when they told me I was cancer free," Kmetz said. "My son Michael died in 2011 and I believe he was an angel watching over me."Natalie also credited Jack, her husband, for being by her side every step of the way."Through 50 years, we've always been there for each other," she said.One of the hardest parts of battling cancer, Kmetz said, was missing the activities of her beloved grandchildren."After I began feeling better, I made it up to four basketball games in my wheelchair," she said. "Even when I was still in the hospital, when they would come see me it would just brighten up my day. When they would leave, I would cry. How could you look at them and not want to fight this?"Bonnie MyersMyers, who battled cervical cancer, started having a slight problem in August 2010. Results of a Pap smear test came back normal. A dilation and curettage, which removes tissue from inside the uterus, in April 2011 showed abnormal cells."It was at that point my doctor sent the slides to Johns Hopkins Medical Center for review and I was nervous because I knew they treated cancer patients there," Myers said. "I was diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma. It required a total hysterectomy."The surgery was completed in June 2011 with a doctor on standby in case her lymph nodes needed to be removed. Thankfully, that was not the case.After the scar from the surgery healed, Myers started the first of 30 radiation treatments in Hazleton. It was a six-week program of five treatments per week."They only lasted 10-15 minutes," Myers said. "The worst thing that happened was I kept getting exhausted. My friends had to drive me to the treatments, not because I couldn't, but because I didn't know when the fatigue would set in."Now retired, Myers was working as a registered nurse at the time and used to an on-the-go lifestyle.She now goes for checkups every six months. Her last Pap smear test showed abnormal cells but a colposcopy came back clean. Doctors think the remains of the radiation treatment may have caused the abnormal cells."I returned to work at the end of 2011," Myers said. "It was a challenge building myself back up to 10-hour shifts, but it was great getting a clean bill of health and knowing that the treatment worked liked it was supposed to."Since then, Myers has given a presentation at her church about the importance of early detection."When you have symptoms, get it taken care of early," she said. "Follow the doctor's plan for treatment and, God willing, everything will be ok."Myers attributes her faith and support from family and friends for helping her get through the battle.She was surprised to hear she would be receiving an award Sunday."The first thing you think is why me?" she said. "I'm sure there are others more deserving, but I'm honored. It was a complete surprise."Lindsey RascavageAs 2013 drew to a close, Rascavage began having difficulty breathing."It felt like something was sitting on my chest," she said.A trip to the doctor in November led to tests that showed two tumors by her heart and lungs. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.Staying strong wasn't a problem for the mother of two."I had to be confident for my kids, husband and family," Rascavage said. "With a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old, I felt I had to push myself for them. The chemotherapy left me tired, but I had to be there for them."Within a week of diagnosis, Rascavage was scheduled for a biopsy, followed by multiple chemotherapy and radiation sessions.She is now in her 10th month of remission."When I got that news, I felt great," she explained. "It's really like a fresh start for me. I felt like I could start my life over again."When asked what advice she would give to cancer patients currently fighting the disease, the answer came quickly."Be positive," she said. "So many people get the diagnosis and think that is it. I think being confident is what got me through it. I knew this wasn't going to be the thing that would kill me."Sandy WychulisThe majority of ovarian cancer patients have no symptoms that can lead to early detection.Fortunately for Wychulis, she is in the minority.Last fall, Wychulis began having pain in her side and back that would not go away.At first, her doctor suspected kidney stones, but a test in October revealed she had a 14-centimeter cyst on her ovary.At an annual checkup just a month prior, Wychulis was given a clean bill of health."It seems weird to say I was fortunate, but with this type of cancer, it's so rare to even have a symptom so I'm very thankful I did," she said. "I was sent to Lehigh Valley Hospital for the surgery and thankfully the cyst did not burst before it was removed."Wychulis underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, the most recent coming on March 12, After each treatment, she was left feeling exhausted."It took me about two weeks to feel better each time," she said. "I had numbness in my toes, feet and fingertips. There was swelling in my legs and my eyes were watery. Like my doctor said, the treatment kills the bad cells, but also the good cells."Wychulis' doctor is confident the treatment is working, but until she gets test results back, she plans to hold her breath. She credits her sister, a breast cancer survivor, and other family members with being her support system.Receiving a "Courage Award" holds special meaning for Wychulis after volunteering at the telethon for 30 years."The telethon is like family," she said. "When I was asked to accept the award, I was a little hesitant because I feel there are people who deserve it more. I'm humbled and honored. I hope that I can help people by speaking about my type of cancer."