Community welcomes home cancer patient

April 15, 2020 Last Updated: April 28, 2020 06:01 PM Digital Media Exclusive

Elizabeth Barber, of Butler, reacts to supporters as she returns home Tuesday from her last chemotherapy session for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Nearly 100 friends, family and neighbors gathered along Haverford Drive to welcome her.

Family, friends celebrate her last chemo treatment

“Only jump forward” is 21-year-old Elizabeth Barber's motto.

Her inspiration comes from a stuffed kangaroo she got from her friends. That kangaroo went with Elizabeth to every chemotherapy treatment she underwent for non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a reminder that like a kangaroo, Elizabeth won't move backward.

Friends and family lined Haverford Drive late Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Elizabeth's last chemotherapy treatment — a tremendous leap forward in her cancer recovery.

“We are excited,” said Janet Barber, Elizabeth's mother. “We're hoping by May 1, she's feeling great.”

“(I'm feeling) pretty good,” Elizabeth added. “I'm very happy. Overwhelmed.”

Janet said she knew in October 2019 something wasn't right with Elizabeth. At the time, Elizabeth had such hip pain she couldn't walk to her Penn State classes. She was diagnosed in December 2019.The news forced her to leave her civil engineering program while she underwent six chemotherapy sessions. Every 21 days, Elizabeth has had an 8-hour IV treatment at the Hillman Cancer Center in Butler.Elizabeth's best friend, AnnMarie Lowerre, contacted Janet with the idea to throw a surprise homecoming parade.“It was actually my mom and I who talked it out,” Lowerre said.With her mother, Eva, Lowerre organized a secret Facebook campaign April 3 inviting people to celebrate Elizabeth's last treatment. Visitors were encouraged to bring signs and pets because Elizabeth loves animals.The surprise also included a video with words of encouragement for Elizabeth. Lowerre contacted people to ask them if they'd like to be part of the project.“I got so many videos,” Lowerre said. “(People) are just so excited to be part of something.”<i>This is an excerpt from a larger article that appear in Wednesday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article <a href="http://www.butlereagle.com/article/20200415/NEWS01/704159957">here</a>.