Missing Aunt Nancy

Aunt Nancy’s Story

When my Aunt Nancy Gavek found out she had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, the doctors gave her three months to live. But Aunt Nancy was having none of it. She had too much family to love and too much to live for — so she decided to stick around.

Over the next two years, Aunt Nancy truly perplexed her doctors. She had a lot of ups and downs with her health but every time she went in for an appointment, she seemed to be doing better than the time before. She fought off that nasty disease for as long as she could, and ultimately, she won herself an extra year and nine months with her husband Donnie, their kids, and their grandkids.

The cancer finally caught up with her in that year’s winter. But she never quit fighting it. Even in the end, she hung on long enough for everyone to visit her, reminisce, and say goodbye. I got my chance last year, and she was still the same fiery lady who came to my graduations, cheered on my sister at her wedding, and sent me photos posing in the latest and greatest Button Law Firm gear.

My Aunt Nancy Taught Me Valuable Lessons

It would be easy to see Aunt Nancy’s story as a sad one, but for me, it’s incredibly inspiring. She died the same way she lived — giving it her all with a positive attitude. Over the last two years, she taught me exactly how important it is to always keep fighting, never give up, and hang on to that positive outlook.

But that’s not the only lesson I’ll remember.

Aunt Nancy also taught me about loyalty, and she did that way before her diagnosis. She and my uncle Donnie were high school sweethearts who enjoyed 50 years of marriage together. She was unwaveringly loyal to him and always kept their family close. Watching her, I realized that once you’ve earned someone’s trust it’s vital that you keep it and always have their back. I put that lesson into practice both at work and in my personal life.

Finally, Aunt Nancy taught me to always put family first — and for me, that includes my Button Law Firm family. Like I mentioned, Nancy was always there for me and my sister growing up, even when making it to my basketball games threw a huge wrench in her plans. She talked to every one of her kids and grandkids regularly and made each of them feel special. She would drop everything for them no matter how small their need was, and I took that lesson to heart. I do the same thing for my family because of her.

Aunt Nancy’s story reminds me that even though people often say life is a marathon, it’s really a sprint. Our time on this earth isn’t guaranteed so we need to cram as much life as we can into every day. Aunt Nancy reignited that fight in me, and I hope reading her story does the same for you. With perseverance and positivity, we can create a better life for ourselves and bring other people along for the ride