Though the COVID-19 pandemic has been keeping families apart, FASTSIGNS® of Pickerington-Reynoldsburg found a way for one cancer survivor to share an amazing milestone in her healing journey with family and friends.

Stacey was a breast cancer patient at OSU’s Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center and needed a sign for her bell ringing ceremony. Her sister, a nurse in Canton, found FASTSIGNS online and told Stacey to have FASTSIGNS produce a sign for her ceremony and she would pay for it.

When Rob Zalewski, franchisee at FASTSIGNS of Pickerington-Reynoldsburg, spoke with Stacey after receiving her request, he shared the story of his wife, Jennifer’s, journey with cancer. Jennifer was diagnosed at 36, with young boys aged 7 and 4 at the time, and she was also treated at the same place as Stacey.

The team at The Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center provides the premier level of care for cancer treatment in Central Ohio, giving patients hope, resources and confidence to conquer in their fight against cancer. The center is named after Stefanie Spielman, who was married to local OSU and Detroit Lions football legend, Chris Spielman. After Stefanie finally succumbed to the cancer spreading, the new center was named in her honor. Chris has been a large part of making the center a world-renowned destination for staff and patients alike.

“As someone who walked the halls and watched his wife heal in numerous ways because of their work, I can attest to the effectiveness of how they approach patient care from the physical and mental standpoint,” said Zalewski. “For the nurses and technicians to do what they do every day is a blessing from God. To do it in spite of the COVID situation is heroic in my mind.”

Rob and Stacey’s conversation reminded him of how thankful he is for his wife’s recovery and current great health as well as all the wonderful people who helped them in numerous ways during that time. Stacey shared that her family was a huge part of her treatment but as a result of COVID-19, they were prevented from coming to the hospital for the ceremony. The hospital had decided to broadcast the ceremony online for everyone to share in the ceremony experience, and she needed a sign.

“Because so many people were there for my wife, Jennifer, helping in immeasurable ways, I saw this as an opportunity for me to help someone else,” said Zalewski. “We donated the sign to show Stacey how much we supported her and how we are cheering her on in a time when her family can’t be present.”

“The COVID pandemic has heightened the importance of the word ‘community’,” said Zalewski. “We have become more aware of how the individuals in our area are so much more important to our health and happiness than we thought.”