LOWELL — Most Lowellians know Edward “Bud” Caulfield as the 12-term city councilor and former mayor who sings the national anthem at sporting events.

Lesser known, perhaps, is that Caulfield is a prostate cancer survivor, having undergone surgery for the disease back in 2008.

And perhaps no one knows that Caulfield’s son, Daniel, also survived cancer.

The Caulfields joined an estimated 1,000 walkers yesterday at the 5th Annual Fall Festival for Life Cancer Walk at Saints Medical Center. The walkers participated in honor of cancer victims and survivors who benefited from treatment at the hospital’s Cancer Center. Former professional boxer and Lowell native “Irish” Micky Ward served as grand marshal.

Exact fundraising totals were unknown, but organizers said it beat last year’s total of $85,000 for the SPINDLE (Supporting Patients in Need During Life’s Endeavors) Fund, which is used to pay for a lot of the uninsured costs for needy patients and their families while they undergo treatment. All money goes to help patients with expenses such as medication, wigs, large co-payments, massage therapy, and even food.

“This is your day. You make it happen,” Saints Medical Center CEO Stephen Guimond told walkers before the start. “We can’t raise enough money to fight this dreaded disease. Thank you very much.”

Gratitude and benevolence were prevalent among the survivors who walked yesterday, starting with the Caulfields.

Almost a year ago to the day, Daniel Caulfield tripped over a cat, fracturing ribs on the left side of his body. He went to the emergency room and then went to get X-rays. That’s where Dr. Alan Pratt in the radiology department found a spot in his right lung. He went for more tests, which showed the spot was benign, but also indicated a softball-sized tumor in his abdomen that turned out to be colon cancer.

Dr. Frank Basile and Dr. Doris Pliskin at Saints performed surgery to remove that tumor, but it had metastasized and moved to his liver. Surgeons at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston removed four tumors from the liver and Daniel Caulfield is now in remission.

“I’m very thankful to this hospital. They literally saved my life,” says Daniel Caulfield, 52. “If they didn’t catch this when they did, it would have fractured and gone to all the other parts of my body. They told me that, 10 years ago, there would have been no hope for me because the liver is such a vital organ.”

Caulfield had Stage 4 cancer, where the prognosis is usually bleak, but because doctors found the tumor and removed it quickly, he is alive and well today. “The nice thing about this facility is I never had to leave. All the specialists are right here.”

Unfortunately, there is a good chance of recurrence, so Caulfield is about to undergo another six-month regimen of chemotherapy. Yet, every day he is alive is a blessing to his father.

“Cancer doesn’t have any borders. It affects everyone, no matter whether you’re wealthy or poor,” says the senior Caulfield. “When we were informed our son Dan had colon cancer, we were just devastated. I can’t say enough about Saints Medical Center. They saved his life. I walked the Dana Farber (Jimmy Fund Boston Marathon) Walk before and raised money for Dana Farber, but you never think it will knock on your door.”

It not only knocked on Lea Dagg’s door, but cancer literally knocked out the 40-year-old Lowell resident two years ago. What was originally thought to be the flu turned out to be sarcoma and mesothelioma.

“It’s been one hell of a ride,” says Dagg, a Methuen High School Spanish teacher who has been on medical leave since the diagnosis. “They’ve never seen these two types of cancer together like this.”

Dagg has no prognosis but visits the Saints cancer center three times a week for testing and checkups. “They’re halting it. They do a great job here. I’m going to live with it until it kills me. I’m just living every day grateful that I’m here.”

Dagg was too sick to walk last year, but felt strong enough to walk a shortened route this year. “I walk to be with all the people that have made it possible for me to be at this stage, just to give back a little bit,” says Dagg, who lives at home with her husband and 4 1/2-year-old son, Lucas.

She describes the pain as similar to having a constant toothache, but says she has gotten used to living with the pain. “Right now, it’s a slow-growing cancer and people think it’s wonderful, but it’s very insidious and can hide.”

For someone who doctors thought would not survive the initial diagnosis, Dagg remains upbeat. “I was supposed to be dead two years ago. I was operated on a few times and before the last operation, doctors said, ‘She might not come out of this.’ That was hard for my family.”

Dagg will soon undergo another round of chemotherapy to attempt to slow the growth of the cancer. “At this point, I’ve defied all the odds. I’m living the happy ending right now because I’m here.”

For local cancer survivors, every day becomes a blessing

Tags: radiology department, cancer walk, needy patients, Colon Cancer, caulfields, professional boxer

408 Responses to “For local cancer survivors, every day becomes a blessing”