The silence that follows devastating loss can either consume or create. For Diane Dutko, executive director of ThinkBIG, that silence became a calling that transforms tragedy into hope for families facing childhood cancer.
During Wednesday’s Lycoming County Commissioners meeting, Dutko shared her organization’s mission with characteristic grace despite carrying unimaginable personal pain. ThinkBIG serves families navigating the brutal reality of pediatric cancer, ensuring that utility bills do not compound the already overwhelming burden of fighting for a child’s life.
Dutko’s granddaughter received her cancer diagnosis at just three years old, beginning a journey that would forever alter their family’s trajectory. The cruel irony of childhood cancer revealed itself most heartbreakingly: the chemotherapy that successfully eliminated the disease ultimately claimed the precious girl’s life. This devastating outcome represents the harsh reality that current treatment protocols, while sometimes effective against cancer cells, often prove too toxic for developing bodies.
The grandmother’s willingness to repeatedly share this deeply personal story publicly demonstrates extraordinary courage. Each presentation requires her to relive the most painful moments of her life, yet she continues because other families desperately need the support that ThinkBIG provides. Her sacrifice transforms private grief into public service, ensuring that her granddaughter’s brief life continues making a difference.
ThinkBIG operates on the front lines of childhood cancer, addressing practical needs that medical teams cannot handle. When families face months or years of treatment, parents often cannot maintain regular employment. Medical bills accumulate while income disappears, creating impossible choices between essential utilities and medical care. The organization steps into this gap, preventing utility shut-offs that would force families to choose between keeping lights on and staying close to treatment facilities.
Recent cuts to cancer research funding make Dutko’s mission even more urgent. Scientists desperately need resources to develop gentler treatment protocols that can eliminate cancer without destroying healthy tissue. Current chemotherapy approaches, developed decades ago, represent crude tools that often cause as much damage as the disease itself. Children deserve better options that preserve their futures rather than trading one threat for another. The time to act is now.
The meeting also addressed suicide awareness during September’s designated month for prevention education. Community members emphasized the critical importance of checking on neighbors, friends, and family members who might be struggling silently. The simple question “Are you OK?” can provide lifelines for people drowning in despair.
Families dealing with childhood cancer face heightened suicide risk due to overwhelming stress, financial pressure, and emotional trauma. Parents watch helplessly as their children endure painful treatments with uncertain outcomes. Siblings feel neglected and confused. Extended family members struggle with their own grief while trying to provide support. The entire family unit requires community assistance to survive intact.
The connection between childhood cancer and suicide prevention extends beyond obvious mental health concerns. When families lose essential services like electricity or heat, desperation can drive parents to consider unthinkable options. ThinkBIG prevents these crises by maintaining stability during the most unstable period imaginable.
Community support takes many forms, from monetary donations to simple acts of kindness. A homemade lasagna delivered to an exhausted family provides more than nutrition; it offers tangible proof that people care about their struggle. Grocery gift cards eliminate one decision from overwhelmed parents’ daily concerns. Gasoline cards ensure that families can reach treatment appointments without financial stress.
The commissioners’ respectful attention to Dutko’s presentation reflected their understanding that government cannot solve every community problem. Organizations like ThinkBIG fill crucial gaps that bureaucratic systems cannot address quickly or personally enough. These grassroots efforts respond to immediate needs while larger institutions develop long-term solutions.
Dutko’s granddaughter’s story highlights the pressing need for medical research funding that prioritizes both treatment safety and effectiveness. Children should not face the terrible choice between dying from cancer or dying from its cure. Advanced research holds promise for targeted therapies that can selectively eliminate diseased cells while preserving the development of healthy cells.
The grandmother’s continued advocacy ensures that other families receive support that might have made her own journey more bearable. Her transformation of personal loss into community service demonstrates resilience that inspires others to find meaning in their own struggles.
Organizations like ThinkBIG deserve community support because they address immediate human needs while advocating for systemic improvements. Every family they help represents a victory against despair and proof that communities can care for their most vulnerable members. Your support is not just appreciated, it’s crucial. You are an integral part of this community effort.
As former Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington once said, “It’s not about the individual, it’s about the team. When you put others before yourself, that’s when you truly win.”
