Nina Wilson ended her four-hour chemotherapy session this week with a grateful heart. Thanks to the selfless efforts of fellow cancer patient Corey Rhodes, the 84-year-old from Mt. Pleasant Township was able to enjoy a Buffalo chicken salad at the end of her long morning. It was a moment of relief and satisfaction for Wilson as she expressed her gratitude to Rhodes. "Thank you so much. It’s delicious," she said. "Boy, that salad came in handy. It was huge. I can make three meals out of that."

Rhodes' Selfless Act and His Journey

Rhodes, 32, was at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Unity on Wednesday morning for his third round of radiation treatment for a rare form of liver cancer. After completing his treatment, he stayed to see how the midday meals provided by his nonprofit Rhodes Cancer Foundation were being received by other patients. The chicken and steak salads from the Savor My Flavor food truck were in high demand.Rhodes is no stranger to lengthy chemotherapy treatments and will resume them once his radiation regimen is over. His motivation to provide lunch for those undergoing long treatments came from seeing people pack their own meals in coolers. He wanted to offer some comfort and nourishment during a difficult time.Rhodes plans to supply patient lunches once a week at the center, featuring a variety of menus from local food trucks approved by UPMC. The day before Thanksgiving was the second food truck day at the Hillman center, and it was a great success. The week before, he sampled sliders from a purveyor of pulled pork and brisket meals and covered the orders of 13 other patients.There were 67 total orders that day, including those from nurses, staff, and people from other buildings. Co-owner David Domzalski of Rostraver, who operates the food truck, plans to donate a portion of the day's proceeds to Rhodes' foundation. The food truck has also served outside area hospitals, as they enjoy interacting with the people.Wilson, who is a year into weekly bone marrow cancer treatments after a previous bout with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in remission, praised Rhodes for his lunch initiative. "For somebody to do something like that is amazing, especially around this time of year," she said. "There are wonderful people out there."

Rhodes' Foundation and Fundraising Efforts

Rhodes, who continues to work part-time as an accountant, has gathered a dozen people to help operate his foundation. A July 20 outing at Glengarry Golf Links in Unity raised about $30,000, which is helping cover the costs of patient meals. The fundraiser also provided a donation of more than $14,000 in support of liver cancer research at UPMC under the direction of Dr. David Geller.Hillman Center oncologist Dr. Terry Evans praised Rhodes for his spirit and charity during his cancer journey. "He hasn’t let this get to him at all," Evans said. Despite having to give up playing fast-pitch softball due to the disease, Rhodes has continued to umpire local baseball games. He has gone above and beyond in his pursuit of cancer-related causes and has turned his illness into something positive for the benefit of others.Though a clinical trial in New York City didn't provide a cure for Rhodes, he is hopeful that he may find another one that will offer better results. In the meantime, the ongoing treatments at the Hillman center are helping contain the cancer affecting his liver and bones.Rhodes is already thinking about next year's foundation fundraisers, including another golf outing and possibly a spaghetti dinner. He hopes that these efforts will benefit current and future cancer patients. "I can feel some comfort if less people have to go through chemo, which is not fun," he said.To learn more about Rhodes' foundation, contact him at coreyrhodes02@yahoo.com or at 366 Wesley Chapel Road, Scottdale, PA 15683.