The Joliet Area Chapter of Pink Heals visited Manhattan resident Deanna Palmer, delivering not just a solid dose of hope — but a check for $2,500 to help with costly cancer treatments.
Palmer, a wife and mother of three young children, including four-year-old Kameron, two-year-old Kayden, and one-year-old Kolin, had just started a new job at Riverside Hospital. After one of her best friends battled triple-negative breast cancer, Palmer thought it wise to do her own breast checks.
It’s a good thing she did.
“It was exactly a week after my 33rd birthday, I woke up, something told me to do my own self-exam, and I did. I even went to him (her husband, Jeremy) and said, ‘This isn’t right – this isn’t normal,’ and he said, ‘No, it’s not,” Palmer told of how she discovered something was wrong.
Shortly thereafter, Palmer was diagnosed with Stage 3 HER2+ breast cancer in her right breast, which had spread to some of her lymph nodes. She quickly began treatment.
“It’s tough. The chemotherapy that I’m on is probably one of the hardest. Today, I’m feeling a little bit better, but it’s hard. It’s very, very hard,” Palmer explained of the grueling chemotherapy regimen. To add to the difficulties, since she’s new to her job, she isn’t able to take much time off, and they depend on the dual income to provide for their family.
Palmer’s brother, T.J. Esquivel, who works at Romeoville Public Works, drove the village’s pink snowplow in her parade. He recalled how one of his old teachers Doug Darguzis was heavily involved with Pink Heals due to his wife, Michelle’s, courageous battle with breast cancer. Esquivel decided that setting up a Pink Heals visit for his sister was just what she needed.
It took about two months of planning, and Esquivel involved Jeremy, Palmer’s husband, as well as the rest of the immediate family. Together, they entrusted the people most important to Palmer with the secret so they could be there to support her, which was quite an accomplishment given the huge crowd that showed up.
The Pink Heals vehicles met the Manhattan Police Department’s officers and the firefighter/paramedic crew at the Manhattan Fire District’s Fire Station 81, making sure they all arrived in a caravan with lights and sirens, while friends and family parked incognito throughout the subdivision.
Once the sirens arrived, droves of friends and family emerged from their vehicles with flowers and plenty of hugs to show their support to Deanna.
The emotional celebration of support was palpable in the air, evident by the steady stream of tears from Deanna and those who came to visit her. A line of Pink Heals Guardian volunteers lined up to wrap their arms around Palmer to show their support, many of them had battled cancer themselves or had a loved one go through it.
“It gives me a sense of hope,” Palmer said.
Palmer receives hugs from Pink Heals volunteers. -Photo by Stephanie Irvine.
“I know I have a huge support system, but just seeing everybody come together really helps. It kind of lifts me up a little bit more and makes me feel a lot better – physically, mentally, emotionally. It has been draining this week, and so this is exactly what I needed,” Palmer explained.
After the Joliet Area Pink Heals President Angie Caldwell presented Palmer with a check, flowers, and some inspirational words, it was Palmer’s turn to sign her name on the Pink Heals truck.
She signed her name with a heart and a short message: “Kickin’ ass!” an indicator of her resolve to fight and her determination to beat her cancer diagnosis.
Palmer plans on kicking cancer’s ass. -Photo by Stephanie Irvine.
“This is awesome. I didn’t expect it to be this big,” Jeremy Palmer said of the turnout for his wife. Esquivel echoed his brother-in-law’s words about the turnout.
Pink Heals didn’t just deliver hope to Palmer on July 13. They also made visits to individuals in Plainfield, Romeoville, Wilmington, Joliet, Shorewood, and Wilmington – surprising each with a moment of love, hope, and a little help financially.
Established in 2013, the Joliet Area Pink Heals travels up to 15 miles from Joliet to visit individuals who have been forced to battle a serious illness. A loved one will nominate them for a visit from Pink Heals and, from there, they plan the surprise.
Many associate pink with breast cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second leading cause of death in women, according to the American Cancer Society. However, Pink Heals has expanded from initially supporting women to now helping anyone battling a serious illness.
The Pink Heals team takes a day each month to execute their monumental surprise, coordinating with local first responders and family contacts. Their visits include a parade of lights and sirens from the Pink Heals signature pink fire trucks and vehicles, Pink Heals volunteer guardians, friends, and family who are in on the surprise, and an escort from the local fire and police departments.
“Honestly, every time – and it’s been 12 years – every time we turn the lights and sirens on, you know that whatever you’re going to do for 15 or 20 minutes, if we can make that person forget about what they’re going through and just feel loved, then we’re doing our job,” Caldwell explained – and she got choked up even talking about it.
While the visit itself is emotional, moving, and incredibly heartwarming, Pink Heals doesn’t stop there – the financial contribution also makes a big difference. The goal is to help, even if just a little bit, unburden families dealing with cancer or other serious illnesses, because even with insurance, life-saving treatments are often quite substantial.
With several fundraisers, including a Mother’s Day Walk, Wine Down event, and golf outing, Pink Heals generates its own funds but also receives a lot of donations from its supporters, like Irish for a Cure and F3 Fitness, among a laundry list of other organizations that host fundraisers to benefit the Pink Heals Joliet chapter.
Merchandise sales exclusively fund the operation and maintenance of the Pink Heals vehicles, which are integral to their visits, but all donations and funds raised through fundraising events are distributed directly to those they visit in the community.
Caldwell recalled running into a past Pink Heals visit recipient who told her that Pink Heals paid their mortgage for the month, which was a major stressor for their family.
“I never thought about the financial part of it, but it brings it all together,” Caldwell said, noting she always had focused so much on bringing a moment of love and hope that to hear the impact the financial piece makes was especially heartwarming. She also explained they were able to help 138 families in 2024.
The Joliet Area Pink Heals isn’t the only chapter of the nationwide organization; there are many nationwide and within Illinois. If you’d like to donate to Pink Heals or to arrange a visit for a loved one, please visit pinkhealsjoliet.org or find them on Facebook.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.