You might remember this woman from Seafair Sunday: Jonnie Lane.
She’s a salmon-catching, Volkswagen van -driving, Seahawks-cheering, 84-year-old who never slows down.
“She even took her own truck and trailer up to Morton for the weekend, shot rifles and pistols. She just goes and goes,” said her daughter, Kathy Morgan.
Now this grandmother is taking on another battle: cancer.
She beat colon cancer 25 years ago, and now doctors believe the tumors in her spine and lymph nodes are ovarian cancer.
When I first met Lane, she was a tidal wave of energy at Seafair. She was serving as a den mother and making meals for law enforcement.
“She is an amazing woman. She is my inspiration and I hope after all this I can do half of what she does, ” said her daughter, Teresa Curtis.
That day I met Lane, she had a warm spirit and was sweet to those around her. When she started talking about her cancer battle, it got to me personally.
“They tell me I’m going to have to go in and start chemo, but I’m going to beat it,” said Lane.
After seeing our story about Lane on Seafair Sunday, Tina McDonough called me.
McDonough created the group Valley Girls and Guys, a non-profit organization in Ravensdale that has raised more than $2.5 million for cancer research. It has also provided warmth by giving blankets to cancer patients in treatment.
“We started personalizing them. One turned into 100, and now we’ve ordered our 693rd blanket today,” said McDonough.
I teamed up with Valley Girls and Guys to surprise Lane with her very own blanket to help keep her warm during her chemo treatments.
“I saw your story, I was touched by your story. Our goal is to give these blankets to everybody we know,” said McDonough.
“Thank you so much, ” said Lane.
The pistol-packing mama with cancer as her target and courage in her heart continues to put up a good fight.
