Sisters remember mom in Relay For Life walk
By BURLON PARSONS bparsons@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Burlon Parsons Sisters Karen Andel Heintschel, Brenda Andel and Kim Andel Wiesner lost their mother to lung cancer at age 45 in 1975. Now they all walk on the same Relay For Life team in their mom's memory and hoping to raise funds so others do not have to go through what they went through.

The three sisters wonder what their mom would look like today. They also wonder what she would think of the changes in the world and the grandchildren, nieces and nephews she has left behind.

Mary Rachunek Andel died at age 45 in 1975 from lung cancer. Daughter Karen Heintschel was 25, Brenda Andel was 18 and Kim Wiesner was the youngest at 9.

Of the seven children, there were three still at home for dad Adolph to become both mother and father for.

Now those daughters, their daughters, nieces and nephews all walk in the Relay For Life event for the Mid-Coast Title Company's Homesteader team.

The event is scheduled for Oct. 20 at Ricebird Stadium in El Campo. Survivor registration begins at 5 p.m. and lighting of the luminaries will be around dusk. The survivor's lap begins about 7 p.m. The laps of Relay walkers then follow that until 5 a.m.

Their goal is to continue to raise funding for research for a cure and early detection of cancer to save other lives.

Mary Andel had been a beautician with her own shop in Wharton and later worked at Maxim Egg Farm.

When she developed a persistent cough she finally saw a doctor. At first she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. It was said to have come from the chemicals and dyes she was exposed to in doing hair.

Later on the prognosis was lung cancer. She did the chemotherapy and doctors operated to remove one lung.

That's when it was found the cancer had spread to her backbone.

The family watched as she gradually wasted away.

Eventually she was in a wheelchair when the cancer ate through her spinal cord. She was left paralyzed from the waist down.

But the girls said she would not give up. She continued to cook and do her crafts even confined to the wheelchair.

Their aunt, Edith Rachunek, R.N., would look in on her. The grown children would come by and help out.

For Kim the entire period was so traumatic she blocked it from her memories.

"I feel like my childhood was taken away from me," Kim said. "I don't remember her or anything about her. I only remember when dad came out of the hospital to tell me and my brother."

The older girls had taken turns staying with their mom when she was in the hospital.

Since the family did not have insurance, their mom only went at the very end for a few days.

While Kim can't remember her mom, she is still on the team hoping the funds that are raised will help people from losing what she lost.

Brenda says she wants the research to continue and develop even better technology.

She thinks if today's technology had existed back in 1973, maybe her mom would still be alive.

Karen hopes the education promoting early detection continues and people won't be turned away because they don't have insurance.

Cancer has touched the lives of every family across this nation.

Relay For Life is a way to support the American Cancer Society with its ongoing research to end the scourge of the dreaded disease.