SHREWSBURY – For years Wendi Baron-Willette decorated the blue spruce in front of her families’ 30 Westmont Drive home with an array of Disney ornaments and lights, wishing local commuters and neighbors a happy holiday season.
This year the tree will not be wearing its traditional display, but rather hundreds of pink lights and bows to celebrate Wendi’s life and her recent courageous battle with breast cancer.
Wendi, who lived in Shrewsbury for 12 years with her husband, Keith Willette, and son Mathew Baron, was diagnosed with non-hormonal triple negative breast cancer in the fall of 2007. Knowing the challenges for short-term survival Wendi and Keith braced themselves for a fight for life that included Mastectomy, Radiation and Chemotherapy.
“This cancer has a bad prognosis in the short term. We were very surprised when nothing showed up and Wendi made it through the short term,” Keith said.
Unfortunately her remission was short-lived, and a pain in the side led to tests and scans and evidence of metastases cancer to the liver. With a prognosis that they may only have a few weeks Keith brought Wendi home and the family enjoyed 10 months together.
“My wife was something special,” he said. “We had a good run.”
With Wendi’s passing so close to the Holidays Keith explained that he could not bring himself to put up the traditional Disney ornaments.
“That was Wendi’s favorite tree,” he said. “I wanted to find a way to celebrate her life so I decided to replace the traditional display with a warm reminder of Wendi’s spirit and her struggle with breast cancer over the past two years.”
Realizing that breast cancer has aff ected a number of people in the community in a variety of ways, Keith, along with his stepson Michael, is inviting all members of the community to share in the celebrating not only Wendi’s life, but others who have been touched by breast cancer.
With the tree now lit Keith welcomes anyone in the community to stop by and place a ribbons in remembrance of friends and family who have lost their battle, who are survivors or who are currently battling breast cancer.
“It is not just about Wendi’s name on the tree,” Keith said. “I want to see lots of names and ribbons on the tree.”
With friends and neighbors still stopping in to off er help, both Keith and Michael are very thankful to the support they have received from friends, family and the school community. Even though the loss of a family member or friend is difficult , Keit h sai d i t i s made especially hard when it occurs during the holiday season.
Looking to further carry on Wendi’s legacy, Keith is in the process of starting up a non-profit company, “Ties that Bind.” The purpose is to make gift baskets that include various personal items needed to get through treatment. Included in the packages, which will be hand delivered to those newly diagnosed, are scarves that have the name of someone who has also been touched by breast cancer.
To donate to Ties that Bind, send donations to a memorial set up by Wendi’s former employer, Christopher Heights Assisted Living Community, located at 20 Mary Scano Drive, Worcester, MA 01605.
Story by Angela Greiner, Community Advocate Reporter
