Love Conquers All
Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by trish in A New You
A world with more birthdays. For West Valley couple, Robert and Molly Stockley, brought together by the loss of a loved one to cancer, it has become their life’s mission. Working together tirelessly to create a world with less cancer – and more birthdays. This spring, the couple is throwing one of the biggest birthday parties the valley has ever seen – all in hopes of eradicating the destructive disease.
In June 2005, Robert received the devastating news that his young wife, Kristi, had skin cancer – melanoma to be exact. Across town, Kristi’s coworkers, including Molly, would receive the call that would change everyone’s lives, forever. “Kristi and I worked together at KTVK Channel 3,” Molly recalls. “She was this beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who was full of life. You just wanted to be friends with her. She was so caring and sweet.”
At a time when most couples would be building a home and planning a family, enjoying all the joys of being newlyweds, Kristi and Robert were now faced with doctor’s visits and chemotherapy and the news that, despite the very aggressive treatment, the cancer was spreading rapidly. “She continued to be the most giving person, even during her fight with cancer,” Robert says. “She was always so selfless. She worried about everyone else. She would send them cards letting them know she was thinking about them. Kristi was truly amazing.” Over the next seven months, Kristi would fight valiantly against the disease, but the very aggressive cancer would take her life on February 16, 2006. She was just 28 years old. As Robert grieved the loss of his young wife, Kristi’s friends rallied around him to keep him going, taking him to sporting events, concerts and inviting him out to dinner. Among those friends was Molly.
“When Kristi passed away, it was devastating,” Molly says. “She was such a wonderful person and it was the first time that I had experienced a loss of that magnitude. I could only imagine what it was like for Robert. I just wanted to be there for him. It was a grieving process for both of us.” Over time, the friendship grew stronger and turned to love. On September 26, 2008, the couple married in a small ceremony at the Grand Canyon. Just weeks earlier, Molly had started her new job as Director of Marketing at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® in Goodyear – a swift departure from her career in broadcast television that had spanned nearly two decades. In fact, since losing Kristi, the couple has dedicated their lives to focus on cancer awareness and supporting research to eliminate the disease that afflicts one in three Americans at some point in their lifetime.
Together, they have formed Kristi Cares, The Kristina A. Stockley Melanoma Foundation, to raise awareness about melanoma, the most common form of cancer for young adults 25 to 29 years of age according to the National Cancer Institute. Molly also dedicates her time to the Board of Directors for Arizona Assistance In Health Care, a non-profit organization dedicated to aid cancer patients and their families with non-medical expenses while undergoing treatment. And as a member of the current Leadership West class, Molly and her group have created a sun safety awareness project for their class project.
“We live and breathe cancer awareness,” Robert says. “Everything we do is focused on eliminating this disease. We have experienced firsthand, as so many have, how cancer affects families. It leaves parents without children and children without parents. We want to see a world with more birthdays.” And to that end, Robert and Molly are throwing perhaps the biggest birthday party in the valley this spring in the name of cancer awareness, the 49th Annual American Cancer Society Jewel Ball. Taking place at the beautiful Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley on March 13, the evening will include dinner, dancing and entertainment, and, of course, a birthday cake. Through ticket sales, sponsorships and silent and live auctions, the couple, who are co-chairing this year’s festivities, hopes to raise at least $400,000 for the American Cancer Society. “Everyone’s guaranteed to have a good time but, more importantly will leave knowing they have made a difference in the lives of those fighting cancer,” Robert says.
Local business leader David Veillette, President and CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America® in Goodyear, is proud to serve as the Honorary Chair for this year’s event. He explains that every dollar raised at the Jewel Ball will be strategically invested by the American Cancer Society for the fight against cancer with the hopes of eventually eradicating the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, 11 million cancer survivors will celebrate birthdays this year, proof that a world with more birthdays is possible. “The goal is to eliminate my job, to eliminate the need for cancer hospitals, to eliminate this disease,” Molly says without hesitation. “We want to find a cure. There’s got to be something out there and until it’s found, we’re going to keep striving to do everything we can to create a world without cancer.” “That’s the goal of the cancer community,” Robert adds. “Everyone is so selfless, especially the patients and their loved ones. Everyone has a common vision. Everyone wants a world with more birthdays and less cancer.”
To learn more about the American Cancer Society and how you can be part of the upcoming Jewel Ball, contact Alison Michaels, Distinguished Events Director for the American Cancer Society at 602.586.7413 or visit www.cancer.org.
