Amy's Story

When Pat Noonan of O’Noonan Construction asked me to write “my story” for this publication, I thought no problem. Then when I sat down at the keyboard, I thought “my story”? What is that? There was my story before my breast cancer diagnosis and my story after. So, my story where I thought I knew my beginning, my middle and my proposed ending has changed. But, that’s the thing about cancer. There is no life as you knew it. Another author comes along in the middle of your life story and hijacks the writing. Everything is different and the sooner you get to that point of realization, the sooner things get better. You get better. Everyone around you gets better. Life gets better. So, my story has evolved.

But for the sake of your time, and space in this brochure, my story goes like this: My husband Harry and I had our house on the market in the summer/fall of 2007. We had a baby girl, Kathleen and another baby on the way, due in early September. We were simply out of room in our existing home.We looked all over for houses, but kept coming back to our Richfield neighborhood, our parks, our neighbors and our community. The only way it was feasible for us to stay in the area we wanted was to remodel and add an addition to our existing house. That undertaking was actually more daunting than simply selling and buying. But, we wanted it and we went for it. We had a set of plans and went about interviewing general contractors – who knew there were so many?

I found O’Noonan Construction through the City of Richfield. I was drawn to the name O’Noonan; it was an Irish kinship thing, and I also liked their website because of the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance logo on it. O’Noonan was a charitable giver to this organization and my sister and I happened to have an interest with this organization since our Mother, mentor and best friend died of ovarian cancer in the summer of 2005. We liked Pat straight away when we met him, but there were others we interviewed we liked as well. We were making a final decision about what contractor to go with when I had a routine breast MRI scheduled.
My sister and I have these done because we have a strong family history of breast cancer. We’ve read that an MRI is the best scan for breast cancer as it catches everything. So, this MRI was just me being proactive, even a little ahead of the game when it came to such matters. Or so I thought.

We went from solidifying plans to build our new home to being diagnosed with early stage II breast cancer in a week’s time. To say we were shocked is an understatement. Devastated is a more appropriate word. Heartbroken is another good one. Scared is a colossal understatement. How could this be? I was too young. Not yet 40, with a 9 month old baby girl, Cassidy and Kathleen who was 2 ½. This was really supposed to the best time in our lives. Obviously with pending surgeries, treatments and everything that goes with a cancer diagnosis physically, mentally and emotionally, our house remodel was put on hold. And again, or so we thought. Or so some advised. But, after several heart-to-hearts with family, friends and close advisors, we said, “ Let’s go for it.” We want our new home and cancer is not going to take that away. What were we waiting for? So we called Pat and wow, are we glad we did.

We were so impressed with his first response to me when I told him I had breast cancer. Understandably most people don’t know what to say, but Pat did. I will never forget it. “Amy you have a very curable disease. I’ve known many women to have breast cancer and do great, my Mom being one of them. You are going to do just fine.” And so the relationship with Pat Noonan of O’Noonan Construction began and the Pink Ribbon Project was born. When this brochure gets published it will be just 10 months since my diagnosis. And without a doubt, these have been the toughest 10 months of my life. Chemo, radiation therapy and breast reconstruction are no walks in the park, but neither is building a home and moving your kids, dog, cat, and just about everything you own into someone else’s house for 5 1/2 months. Just ask my sister and brother-in-law! But through it all, our family had something positive to focus on: our new home and these incredibly generous acts of kindness by people we didn’t even know.

It would seem just when we needed to hear some good news, Pat would call and tell us of someone new who was donating his or her time and/or materials to this project. Harry and I often found it overwhelming. We wondered how we could ever thank all of these folks for the things they were doing for us. We’re still wondering. Our new home is honestly beyond our expectations as Pat has taken this project to a higher level. He saw this project as an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, in our lives. To give back. And hey, to build his business and market several other businesses along the way. All motives driven by honesty, hard work and integrity. To see his faith in the project, in himself, in his wife Julie and their two boys Jacob and Joey, in his crew, in all of his subcontractors and business associates, and in Harry and I has been a bright spot through some dark times.

Like I said, now we have a fresh start and a new beginning. I have always enjoyed writing, ever since I was a little girl, so I have hijacked my story back from cancer and am starting a fresh chapter. This chapter is written by the new me. It begins with my husband and our two little girls in our new home. With a renewed sense of self. A stronger relationship with God and belief in his goodness. A newly-aligned focus and sense of the future. An appreciation for life and its uncertainties. And lastly, a gratitude for others and their generosity, compassion and goodness. Thank you.