More than likely, you or someone you love has felt the terrible effects of cancer. While the disease itself is horrible, the treatment for it can be far more dreadful. However, amid the bleakness of it all, Lemons of Love uses motorsports to provide a lemon-yellow ray of hope.
The group’s founder, Jill Swanson, understands the ravages of cancer firsthand. Her experience led her to create the nonprofit organization known for sharing care packages and counsel to those facing cancer as well its annual Mazda MX-5 Cup car giveaway.
The cause is backed by several big names in the industry, including WeatherTech, Gridlife, Flis Performance and, yes, the 24 Hours of Lemons.
A Diagnosis From Seemingly Nowhere
Swanson has owned FAST Cooling, manufacturer of driver cooling systems, since 2005 and worked there 12 years before that. In 2014, she went to the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Swanson had been battling a cough, which she attributed to possibly an allergic reaction to a new cat. The following week, she visited a general practitioner to address that issue. The GP ordered tests, including a blood panel, to rule out any serious issues.
“Two hours later after getting bloodwork, they called me,” Swanson says. “They said, ‘You need to get to the hospital right now. You have no blood in your body.’ I was confused. They asked, ‘How do you feel today?’ I said, ‘I feel the same as I did last week.’”
Swanson underwent more tests. The good news: Doctors found no heart issues or signs of an aneurysm. The bad news: stage 3 colon cancer.
“I’ve never had a stomachache,” says Swanson. “I didn’t have any GI symptoms.”
By the end of that week, they operated on Swanson, removing half of her intestines. Just after the surgery, she says, she felt good, with plenty of energy. Swanson went on a pre-scheduled trip to Walt Disney World with her then-7-year-old stepson. However, she had yet to experience the hardest part of her cancer journey.
Turning Lemons Into Lemonade
After the trip to see Mickey Mouse and friends, Swanson returned home to Illinois. There, she underwent her first round of chemotherapy.
“My first chemo…
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