Diane Palmer was a loved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the fall of 2010, she underwent surgery and chemotherapy treatments and faced the disease with a positive attitude and the support of her family and friends.
Sadly Diane lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. Her daughter, Gwen, recalled the stories her mother told of the women she sat with while receiving chemotherapy, some of them driving themselves to treatments and working full time jobs to support their families.
“She said on several occasions that she didn’t know how they did it,” said Gwen Palmer-Vrh, Diane’s daughter. “I think it broke her heart to know that many people didn’t have the same support she did.”
Upon her passing, a family friend made a donation to the UK Markey Cancer Foundation’s Cathy Wolterman Coop Fund in her honor.
“After reading about this fund, I could not have imagined a better place to honor our mother,” said Gwen.
The fund, which was created for Cathy Wolterman Coop as a birthday gift the month before her passing, was designed to support cancer patients in the Gynecological Oncology clinic who were financially stressed or traveling long distances for their treatments. , Much like Diane, Cathy often commented to her family about the sadness she felt for other patients who were not blessed with the same support and financial stability she relied on during her treatment.
After learning of the Cathy Wolterman Coop fund, Gwen came up with the idea to use one of her family’s favorite pass times – Cowboy Mounted Shooting – to raise money for an effort that was so important to her mother.
1st Ohio CMSA will hold a silent auction to be held in Diane’s memory, with proceeds also benefiting the fund. Donations will also be taken at the shoot.
Gwen, an amateur photographer who often takes photos at CMSA events free of charge for competitors, hopes those who know her family will support a cause that is so important to them.
Gwen’s family will also be donating $20 for each clean shooter, in that shooters name.
“We will have items such as a Merigold hat, a painting by Pepe Villasenor, homemade soaps, a personalized photo book (with photos by Gwen Vrh), jewelry , a gun rig with the ovarian cancer ribbon and much more. We have several other fun activities planned as well.”
Information about the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association and the 1st Ohio Charity Shoot can be found at www.1stohio.com or go to the organization’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ groups/165304222124. To make a donation to the Cathy Wolterman Coop Patient and Family Support Fund, go to www.ukmarkey.org and click on “Donate.”