Why Carol Cowles Gave in Honor of the Cancer Care Staff
More than twenty years ago, Carol Cowles was first diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, she received chemotherapy locally and remembers the experience clearly. “I had wonderful care then,” she says. “It was hard. I was younger, so it was frightening.”
Her cancer eventually went into remission. But 21 years later, it returned — this time in a very different way.
A Second Diagnosis
Carol began experiencing persistent back pain. At first, she and her providers believed she hurt her back while doing her spring gardening clean up. She tried physical therapy, but the pain didn’t improve.
“I told my provider that there’s something different,” she explains. “I have two different pains. I feel the knots in my back, but I also have a very deep pain in my hip.”
An MRI revealed that her bone marrow was, as her doctor described it, “wonky.” Further testing confirmed that her breast cancer had metastasized to her bones. Her care was transferred to the Cancer Care & Infusion Center.
Coordinated, Compassionate Care
Once inside the Cancer Center, Carol found a team ready to step in and carry some of the burden she had been carrying.
“The amount of help I got for lining everything up, making all the phone calls for me — it was such a load off,” she says. “Just the work of dealing with appointments.”
A key part of that support came from breast care navigator, Anya Sibunka. Instead of navigating complex scheduling, medication adjustments, and follow-up calls on her own, she had a single point of contact.
“Anya did it all and then called me to tell me when my appointments would be. She called to ask how I was feeling after starting something new. It was unreal to have that kind of care. She took care of it and still does.”
That personal attention extends throughout the clinic. “I’ve not had contact with a soul in there that was not absolutely intelligent, compassionate, just top notch,” she says. “You don’t feel anonymous. We all know and care about each other in there.”
Treating the Cancer and Supporting Living Life
Today, Carol takes an oral cancer medication to manage her breast cancer. “It’s powerful,” she says candidly. “But you learn to deal with that too.”
“What I love most of all is that they’re treating my cancer, but they are also helping me live with it,” she says. “They want me to go and have fun. They want me to take vacations, even if it means I’m going to miss an appointment or two. It’s all about living. It’s not about the dying at all.”
That outlook has changed her experience of cancer the second time around. “There’s no sugarcoating anything. It’s just matter of fact,” she says.
“I give them all the credit. It’s not just the meds — it’s the people in there. They are incredible.”
The Importance of Local Care
Cancer care requires frequent visits — labs, imaging, consultations, medication checks. Having those services available locally reduces time, travel, and stress for both patients and their families.
“For me to not have to drive to the cities or Rochester for appointments is huge,” she says. “It’s so easy for me to stay in Northfield and to feel at the same time that I am getting excellent treatment in a comfortable environment with no hassle!”
“I know I am getting the same skilled care here that I would receive at a larger institution. Dr. Kamboj is my oncologist, and she is a Mayo Clinic physician. She is a brilliant doctor,” she says.
“I don’t know what it is about the Cancer Center and their philosophy that makes it such a warm, welcoming, familiar place. There is comfort in seeing familiar faces — both staff and fellow patients — and in being part of a community rather than a number,” she explains.
Giving Back Through the Northfield Hospital Foundation
After experiencing this level of care twice, Carol has decided to give back through Northfield Hospital Foundation.
“I’m a big believer in foundations. It is a gift that is an investment in the organization,” she explains.
“I am so blessed to have insurance that covers so much of this,” she says. “So, it seems only right to give something of my own back. I donated in honor of the staff. They need to know how appreciated they are and what a difference they make in our lives.”
“By giving to the foundation, we ensure that others receive the same care and comfort that I received,” she says.
Donations to the Northfield Hospital Foundation help sustain services that patients may not even realize are being supported — care resources, comfort resources, and programs that reduce financial and logistical stress for families facing cancer. They ensure that high-quality, compassionate care remains available locally for the next person who hears the words “you have cancer.”
As Carol reflects on her journey, her overriding emotion is clear. “I am just so thrilled, happy and relieved to have this level of cancer care here in Northfield,” she says.
Learn more about Northfield Hospital Foundation and Cancer Care.