Gerard and Pat Morin

By Gayle VanVooren
Mascot Editor

“I’m an angel of faith and persistence,” says Pat Morin as she battles the toughest  of all foes — cancer. And it’s been a tough fight from the start.
Morin gives a lot of credit to the “Three F’s”— namely faith, family and friends. “Without them I don’t think I would make it.”
Morin moved to Minneota from Pennock, where a lot of her family still lives. Her Mom and Dad are there plus many of the 11 siblings and their families. “When we get together, there are a lot of us,” Morin added with a laugh.
Family has been important her entire life. “Our family gets together for every major holiday, and we do things together like plant flowers for Mom and Dad in town. We have a good time together.”

Morin bought the house on Cornelius Way in 1996 and moved in with her children, Connie, John and Adam Johannes. Connie now lives in Sobieski and the boys in Little Falls.
She and Gerard met, dated for some five years, and he moved in with the family in 1997. And it was in 2001 that they were married. He is originally from the Currie area.
They chose a simple ceremony at Key Largo, and that, too, was an adventure. “That morning, the sirens were sounding as there was a tornado in the area,” said Morin.
“But I was determined it was going to be okay. We went ahead and it turned out to be a beautiful day.” After a trip to Florida and a Bahama cruise, the newlyweds were back in Minneota.
Pat and Gerard both work the night shift at the Schwan Food Company in Marshall. Said Pat, “I’d worked there over 10 years and never missed a shift of work.” But that all changed very quickly in 2008.
Back in July of that year, Pat had a lot of pain in her back. She was put on a muscle relaxant which didn’t help very much.
A few weeks later that pain had moved to the right side of her lower abdomen.
She went in to her doctor and tests were taken. But when the results came, for some reason she laid the letter aside and didn’t open it.
Shortly before Thanksgiving she found the letter again, opened it, and found that the doctor wanted her to come in for further tests.
She went to her family’s Thanksgiving celebration, told them her news, and was met with strong encouragement to get to the doctor right away.
That motivation sent her in for a CAT scan, and when the results were read, she and her husband found  the news of ovarian cancer.
“I was already in stage three,” she said. “You just don’t realize how important it is to stay in touch with your own body.”

The next week Morin was in Sioux Falls and having surgery. “I had an ovary and lots of tissue taken out,” she said. But the doctor admitted that she was full of cancer.
Gerard asked the tough question of ‘how long does she have’, and the doctor answered with “only God puts time limits on people.”
Morin added, “My doctor was very honest with me. I wanted to know what I should do, and he answered my questions.”
Morin started chemotherapy treatments on New Year’s Eve of 2008, and she has had a full year of various treatments as she fights cancer.
In March she had a second surgery where her appendix, the second ovary and everything that was cancer bearing was removed. Another set of chemotherapy treatments were ordered, meaning many trips to Sioux Falls.
A second port was put into her abdomen and she went on a regiment of chemo two days in a row. These were very tough on her, and she wound up in the hospital every time she had them. After this regiment was finished another CAT scan was ordered.
“I was very optimistic I would be cancer free,” said Morin, “but my doctor told me I still had cancer.” That was a tough time for Morin, but she has again bounced back with her remarkable attitude.
She said, “I still believe that my doctor is going to help me beat it.”
She is on a different kind of chemotherapy at this point, which makes her skin very sensitive. And it also is taking a toll on her blood supply.  Her blood is tested before she’s given chemo, and if it’s low, she has to have a couple units of blood first.
Morin noted one good thing about this chemotherapy. “I lost all my hair when I first started on the chemo treatments, but this chemo is growing my hair back,” she said. A couple wigs from friends helped her transition from hair to hair loss during her  first treatments.
“I can handle the chemo and going to appointments,” said Morin, “but when I really start getting sick, that’s when it’s hard.” She would much rather go to work, do her own work at home, and hates to inconvenience others.
While Morin has gone to as many shifts as she can, there have been times when she cannot work. And that bothers her a great deal.
Morin loves her work at Schwan’s. She said, “I do all the printing at work”, in the plastics division. “The people I work with are great and my bosses are great. They have really been a great support for me.”
When asked how she keeps her positive attitude, Morin responded with, “Because I have to. It’s my life and I have to keep my spirits up.”
Gerard has not been without problems, himself. Recently diagnosed with Krohn’s Disease, he is on medication and must watch his diet. But he said, “While it’s not curable, it is controllable.”
Together, they are trying to bring good health back into their lives. She also warns more people now  about going to the doctor and listening to their bodies. She said, “Ovarian cancer is the least detected and the easiest to get rid of if you catch it soon enough.”
Our community can show their support by attending the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast that is set for Sunday, January 31st at Hope Lutheran Church. The meal will be served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day, with proceeds going to the Morin’s.
If you cannot attend the breakfast and would like to donate, an account is open at the Bank of West, 123 N. Jefferson, Minneota, MN 56264.
Pat Morin is definitely an “angel of faith and persistence”. Her positive attitude is one that all of us can take a lesson from.