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Sharon Scanlan was my oldest and dearest friend. We had the truest of friendships that began when we were freshmen at Prospect High School. As best friends do, we supported each other throughout our lives together…college, careers, marriage and children. We shared birthdays and special occasions, family vacations, and all of life’s challenges. I am forever grateful for the support and encouragement that Sharon gave me when I first wanted to run my own business, and I know in my heart of hearts that I will never have another friend like her.
Sharon taught music in elementary schools and gave private piano lessons. With a love of children and a passion for music, she dedicated her career to sharing the joy of music with the many children whose lives she touched.
In October of 2001, Sharon and I decided to take the trip of a lifetime together, visiting Paris and other parts of France. During that week we spent together, Sharon shared with me her concerns over some troubling symptoms she had begun to experience. Her doctor seemed unconcerned about them and it wasn’t until the fall of 2002 that she was finally diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Being a wife, a mother of four, and her parents’ only child, Sharon was determined to beat the disease that threatened her life. Fighting throught the nausea and sickness that came with a never-ending regimen of chemotherapy, she never slowed down, never missed an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, keeping all the same traditions and special occasions that meant so much in healthier times. Refusing to indulge in self-pity (right up until her final days), Sharon’s unending love never ceased to be a source of warmth and comfort to those around her. Sharon died in June of 2005, just one day after attending a bridal shower for her nephew and his fiancé.
Sharon wanted to share her message about ovarian cancer with others. And so I honor her memory with a commemorative bracelet and this web page. All proceeds from the bracelet go to the Sharon Scanlan Foundation that supports charitable causes, including the religious community of St. James Parish that was her beloved spiritual home on this earth.
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