Alyssa Jeske benefit set May 12

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Alyssa Jeske uses the power of prayer and a powerful will to survive in her battle against a very rare form of cancer -- epitheliod sarcoma.

Jeske, a senior at South Dakota State University, noticed a bump on the palm of her hand two years ago this month. It was small and didn't hurt. The bumps spread up her arm and into her armpit during the summer.

She didn't see a doctor right away. At first, a doctor at a clinic in Brookings, S.D. thought it was a skin condition.

Jeske was sent to a Sioux Falls dermatologist who quickly sent her to the University of Minnesota Hospital where her cancer was confirmed.

Jeske was surprised. Her family had no history of cancer. She never even had chicken pox.

She began getting chemotherapy treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester in February 2000.

At first, doctors told Jeske that her arm would be amputated at the shoulder. That hasn't happened yet.

She spent much of last summer getting treatment at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston -- which is considered by some to be the best cancer center in the country.

Jeske gets weekly chemotherapy cancer treatment at New Ulm Medical Center and is regaining arm strength with therapy at the New Ulm Fitness Center.

"Alyssa really beat all the odds so far. It's really been fun to see," her nursing friend Pat Hartman said. "A very dim picture was painted when she was first diagnosed with cancer. She got lots of strong support from her family, friends, and prayer. She is proof that life doesn't have to be as bad as you might be told."

Jeske studies micro biology at SDSU and is on the mend.

"My doctors tell me treatments are working and my tumors are very inactive, perhaps even dead," Jeske said.

Although she limits her diet, she was not ordered to do so by medical professionals. She drinks lots of fruit juice and eats carrots and takes several supplements. She avoids meat.

Jeske is hopeful she can stop getting chemotherapy this May, when she makes her next trip to Texas. She will continue treatment in Texas every two months for a year, every three months for two years, every six months for five years, then once a year for the rest of her life.

"You are never completely cured of this," Jeske said. "You never know when the bumps could come back."

"Some of us were talking about what we could do to help the Jeskes with their medical bills," Hartman said. "Many of us have given our prayers and emotions to the Jeskes, but with all they have gone through, we knew there was a need for financial help. We thought Mother's Day weekend would be a good time to do it."

The Saturday, May 12, benefit for Jeske, "Seasons of Hope," will include a brunch, silent auction and shopping extravaganza with a wide variety of donated items. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the auditorium of New Ulm Medical Center.

"It should be a wonderful, fun thing," Hartman said.

"We had a great response from the community," nurse Connie Grams said. "Everybody we asked for help was more than willing to help."

Tickets are available at Alliance Bank, State Bank & Trust, and the New Ulm Medical Center Coffee Shop and at the door.

Children's activities and child care will be provided.

A thanksgiving service for Alyssa will be held April 30 at Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.