Help Susan Odgers, activist with breast cancer

Susan Odgers lives in Traverse City, Michigan. She is a gifted storyteller who has shared her life with us in many ways including the National Writers Series, and a regular column in the Traverse City Record-Eagle, “Adapted in TC”, drawing much from her life as a wheelchair user.

Paralyzed from the waist down and using a wheelchair for over 46 years, Susan likens her struggle to a marathon with lots of challenges and gifts along the way.

Susan's Marathon has touched many people, not only her readers but those she's taught at Northern MI College, Wayne State University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State, University of Michigan, and the University of Nice, France.

Susan is a busy community activist, chairing the boards of the Keewanee Storytelling Center, MI Writers, Traverse Area District Library, and the Traverse City Human Rights Commission. She's also a tireless and powerful advocate for those whose differing abilities fall outside conventional norms.

In February 2021 Susan was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She has thrown herself completely into this new challenge, reading, writing, and engaging with her caregivers, readers, friends, and the larger community she now finds herself in. Since then, there have been endless rounds of appointments, diagnostic procedures, medications, and all the hilltops and valleys of hopes and fears and pains that accompany this ongoing journey.

Susan is now in a marathon of another sort. She's taking medications with significant side effects; joint pain, insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats. The joint pain is intense; burning in her rib cage, hips and shoulders. Her whole skeleton aches. It hurts to be touched.

Susan is having surgery in August and will have extensive expenses during recovery.

This time, Susan's Marathon needs more support. Susan's treatment requires regular trips to the University of Michigan's Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, which is a 500 mile round trip from home. There's the cost of gasoline, food, vehicle maintenance and parking. Susan and her husband Tom can't stay with family and friends because their homes aren't accessible, so there are lodging expenses. And there are medications and supplies, co-pays and costs not covered by insurance.

There's so much more to the story. Susan's life has touched and enriched so many people in so many outstanding ways. Writer, storyteller, student, teacher, advocate, friend, family, and yes, breast cancer patient.

Please join us in supporting Susan in this “Marathon Of Another Sort!”

Thank you.