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Jeanne Boyce Dippold

(pronounced Jeannie)

Age 34

Chicago, Il

Jeanne was the youngest of 4 children, the baby.

John was the oldest and only boy so as young children the three girls were "Irish Twins" all a year apart, so we were close at that young age. I remember as children Jeanne had a chalkboard, in her room she shared with Judy and would always want to play school and be the teacher. We were probably 10, 9 and 8, respectively. Jeanne loved her chalkboard more than anything. It’s funny how I remember that Judy wanted to be a Mom, I wanted to be an Airline stewardess and Jeanne wanted to be a teacher. We all pursued our dreams and succeeded and although Jeanne did her best to become a teacher her dream was never realized because at age 34 breast cancer took her life.

After High School Jeanne realized that she did not have the money to go away to school so she would work and attend community college in order to be a teacher. She got a job at a bank, she was still going to school but part time. She then met her soon to be husband and was married.

After working for a few years and putting school on hold she decided to go back, she only had her student teaching left. My Mom had died in May of 1989, rough year for all of us and a month after my Mom died Jeanne found a lump on her breast, concerned she went to the Doctor, she was 27.

The day we went to the specialist was a surreal day. We were going to get the results of the mammogram and biopsy and then we were going to the Chicago Cubs game, no big deal. Could you ever imagine losing your mother 3 months before and having anything wrong with your baby sister, no way? We were going to the doctor and then going to the Cubs game, we had bleacher seats…….what could be better than that.

The doctors’ office was in a cute Brownstown building and my sister, her husband and me walked in sat down and the Doctor said "You have cancer" and the world stopped for all of us. I remember just sitting there and then the questions started, what next? Then come the questions, what are the options, how bad is it? She was already at stage 4 so we had to get going right away. But not before we went to the Cubs game, which we did and you would have seen that throughout our ordeal, we always made the best of every situation and always laughed and had fun. I think back on it and we just were told she had cancer and we spent the next 4 hours in the bleachers at Wrigley field, go figure. But we already knew what we were up against having just lost my mom so we decided the best way to deal with it was to have some fun!!

Jeanne had her first breast removed and was given the option for conventional Chemo or to be in a trial, Jeanne, as always being the generous one, opted for the trial. She felt that if it worked, great, but if not it would help the researchers in finding a cure or better options for the ones who came after her.

Jeanne did great for a couple years even went back to school to try and finish her teaching degree but then the cancer came back and this time it was not good. She needed her other Breast removed. Jeanne had her second mastectomy. She did well for a while but the ups and downs with chemo were not good and our whole family was always there every step of the way.

Then the kicker, the only hope was a stem cell transplant and the insurance company said they would not pay for it.

So our family and friends rallied round and we held a benefit for her, I have to say it was incredible how the family, friends and neighbors all pitched in to raise money for her, the outpouring of love and support was more than anyone could have expected. She had the Stem Cell transplant in August of 1994. Things were fine for a while but then after some great ups and some very bad downs the cancer beat her at the age of 34, on July 30, 1995. She went down fighting though and always kept her sense of humor.

My sister Judy is in charge of a Benefit Fund, which searches out benefits for local children and adults suffering from Cancer to assist them in honor of Jeanne. We also walk in the "American Cancer Society" Relay for Life in honor of Jeanne and she is also our team name "Jeanne’s Angels" for our local annual softball tournament to raise money for Cancer. Jeanne’s legacy still lives on even 8 years later.

All I can say is that the only thing Jeanne wanted was to be a teacher and was never able to realize her dream because of this terrible disease that took her life. She would have been a great teacher, she was kind and warm and funny. Jeanne loved children and although because of this disease never was able to have her own, she would be so proud of her niece and nephews.

I recently sat in the auditorium of my nieces’ graduation from High School and I cried not because I was sad for her, but because all I could think was how proud Aunt Jeanne would be of Megan and how much she would have liked to have been there to see that beautiful young lady walking in her cap and gown with her whole life ahead of her. I cried for my sister and I cried for myself that my sister was not there to see it.

Jeanne was an awesome sister and a wonderful friend. It was an honor and privilege to have shared my life with her. She was much to young to die and there is a hole in our hearts everyday because she is not with us, but it is people like you and friends and family that keep her in our hears and minds and make us strive to be better people because of who she was and who she could have been if she had been given the chance.