'Cancer Does Not Define You': Survivors Inspire Community at Carson Park
Northwoods Eau Claire Express

'Cancer Does Not Define You': Survivors Inspire Community at Carson Park

Published on June 8, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Eau Claire Express News Release


The Eau Claire Express and Mayo Clinic Health System will celebrate resilience, hope and survivorship on Wednesday during the Trains' annual Cancer Survivor Night at Carson Park in honor of National Cancer Survivors Day.

The annual event honors cancer survivors and their families, showcasing the strength and perseverance required to overcome one of life's greatest challenges. This year, three Express fans and cancer survivors shared their journeys as part of the celebration.

Among them is Stacy Curtiss, who will join fellow survivors on the Carson Park pitching mound for the stadium's largest ceremonial first pitch.

Curtiss' cancer journey began in January during a routine CT scan of her heart. While reviewing the images, her radiologist discovered a mass in her lung. Further testing revealed stage 1B lung cancer with an EFBR exon 19 mutation.

Despite living a life without smoking, complemented with a relatively healthy lifestyle of exercising, eating well and taking care of herself, Curtiss explained that lung cancer can happen to anyone.

"You can be 20, you can be 40, you can be 60, you can be 80. It doesn't matter your age. And with lung cancer, just like breast cancer. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. If you have breasts, prostate, we all know that, right? But people don't realize that if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. So let's get the word out, and this just helps make the community more aware that everybody can get cancer," Curtiss said.

Curtiss has a 68% chance of living for another five years, and she maintains a positive outlook on life. Since retiring a year ago, she has many plans for the future, including traveling. With a two-year-old grandson, she is motivated to keep fighting for her health so that she can fulfill all her dreams.

"With cancer, a lot of times your plans are put, they're derailed, they're put on the on the shelf," Curtiss said. "Don't do that. I'm gonna keep traveling, I'm gonna keep doing stuff. I'm gonna keep fighting for my grandson."

Similar to Curtiss, other cancer survivors said that early detection is an important step. Kitty Seyffer, another cancer survivor, was diagnosed in 2017 with breast cancer, expressing that if you're worried about something, get checked out.

"Early detection is key," Seyffer said. "If you're hesitant about getting a certain test, go have it because that's really what saved me."

As a Brewers fan and an Eau Claire Express fan, Seyffer expressed how important these events are, as everyone deserves a community to rely on. With Seyffer, she had her husband, her friends, her family and a wonderful group of health care workers throughout her treatment.

"I had one friend who sent me a greeting card with a scratch-off ticket every week while I was going through my treatment," Seyffer said. "I still remember that and I mentioned it to her the other day, so just knowing that there are people who care about her and love you is really important in your journey.

The importance of support, love and community has driven Curttis and Seyffer to find the positive and support throughout their journey. Chloe Lee, a cancer survivor, said the same. In her senior year of high school, she noticed some bruising and went to her primary care doctor and later did tests, diagnosing her with APL leukemia.

Lee expressed that through her journey, she wanted to just be a normal teenager, and like many other cancer survivors, the support of her community was nothing short of empowering.

With it being her first time separated from her twin brother while in treatment, Lee said she thinks it's important for everyone to understand how the diagnosis does not just affect one person, but their entire village, and it's important to lean on those you care about.

"You're not defined by your diagnosis, I know you probably think that you have cancer and that's your only personality trait about you. It's not, I was a sister, I was a student still," Lee said. "The cancer diagnosis does not define you and it never will; it's just part of your story."

Globally, cancer affects tens of millions of people each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. With 20 million new diagnoses, 1 in 5 people worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.

Get checked today and reach out to Mayo Clinic Health System for support and join the Eau Claire Express in Carson Park at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday to support cancer survivors and their families for National Cancer Survivor Night.

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