In the eyes of Deedie Carter’s daughters, she was the “best caregiver in the world” as she cared for her husband, Kenneth Carter, and for them, during his battle with cancer.

“Our mother has been there for us for 33 and 25 years,” said Andrea Maness, in her nomination for her mom as the 2016 Pike County Relay for Life Caregiver of the Year Award. “She has fed us, bathed us, brushed our teeth, tucked us in to bed, read to us, wrapped her arms around us and loved us when we felt we couldn’t make it through the day. She has been our mentor, our teacher, our encourager, our biggest fan, and our inspiration. All these things are special to my sister, Kasee Mann, and me but are not uncommon for a mother.”

Carter was honored as the 2016 Pike County Relay for Life Caregiver of the Year at the annual Survivors’ Dinner at Park Memorial United Methodist Church Monday night.

She expressed appreciation for the award and told the caregivers in the audience, “you don’t know how important you are.”

But Carter’s daughters know how important she was to their dad’s life and to theirs.

Maness said a mother, by nature, is a caregiver for her children.

“Our mother is strong, Kasee and I have always known that,” Maness said. “She’s a Hobbs woman after all. But on July 14, 2014, our family received the worst news of our lives and our mother’s role of caregiver took on an entirely new meaning. When our dad was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Mama cried, but only for a short time. We watched her grow stronger and stronger with each passing day. She became, in our eyes, the strongest and best caregiver in the world.”

Maness said through her dad’s battle with cancer, her mom only left his side when she was either sick herself or was seeking guidance for his care. Day in and day out she cared for him in a way that still seems beyond comprehension.

“Anyone who loves someone battling cancer knows that while you try to always keep high spirits, there are dark moments – moments when the patient, in mom’s case her best friend, are just not easy to care for,” Maness said. “But if our mother is anything she is persistent. She put her mind to making sure that Dad had every worldly resource available to win his battle and was relentless in demanding perfection from his nurses, doctors, and from Dad himself.

“When Dad was too weak to eat, she fed him; when he was too tired to bathe, she bathed him; and when he felt that he just couldn’t make it through another day, she wrapped her arms around him and prayed for him.”

On one of his breaks home from the hospital, Maness said her dad was taking a walk down Orange Street, something she is sure her mom insisted he do, and was stopped by a neighbor.

‘When the neighbor asked how Dad was doing, he boasted about how wonderful his wife was taking care of him. ‘She’s my angel,’ were his exact words,” Maness said.

Deedie Carter was her husband’s primary caregiver. She not only provided care for him during his battle but for their daughters as well.

“The definition of caregiver is someone who provides care for a sick or disabled person,” Maness said. “While Kasee and I were neither sick nor disabled, Mom always made sure to care for our broken hearts. Watching our Dad go through this battle that would eventually take him from us was the hardest

 

four months of our lives. We count our blessings each day that we have a mother that was, not only strong enough to take care of her needs, but also the broken hearts of her two daughters.

“Because of the love she had, and still has for our dad, Kenneth Carter, and the unwavering love and way she cares for us, we can think of no one more deserving of this year’s Caregiver Award than our mama, Deedie Carter.”

In addition to the Caregiver of the Year Award, Monday’s dinner was an opportunity to recognize other community members who are playing a key role in the fight against cancer.

The Rev. Rick Hayes, 2016 Pike County Relay for Life Honorary Chair, was the featured speaker for the Survivors’ Dinner. He was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in 2014 and only four days after the birth of his first grandchild.

He underwent months of treatment including chemotherapy and a bone marrow and stem cell transplant in Omaha, Nebraska. Through it all he maintained, “God is great!”

Hayes said he was back in Omaha recently and learned that is cancer continues to be in remission. “Can I tell you, God is great.” Hayes said that having cancer taught him many things including “to be humble.” He learned to let others do for him.

He learned to take life one day a time and he encouraged the cancer survivors and their caretakers who filled the Family Life Center not to let cancer steal their joy.

“And cancer will steal your joy if you let it,” he said. “Don’t let cancer take away your joy and your purpose. Then every day will be better and brighter. Have I mentioned that God is great?”

Hayes said having cancer in one’s life should not dictate change.

“Do not change what you do until you can no longer avoid it,” he said. “Decide how you want to live every day. Finish the race and finish strong. God is great.”

Special recognition was given to Lily Barnett, age seven, the youngest cancer survivor in attendance, and to Robert Newman, age 92, the oldest survivor. Betty Sheffield was honored as the longest survivor at 30 years.

The 2016 Pike County Relay for Life culminating event will be from 6 until 9 p.m. Friday at the Troy Sportsplex. Teams and Relay supporters are encouraged to attend.