Charity prodigious with cancer survivor aid
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE - George Yuhasz has turned his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 1999 into what he and others call "a labor of love."

Yuhasz, who has been a special education teacher at the Middlesex County Vocational Technical High School system in East Brunswick for 30 years, formed the nonprofit group Prodigal Foundation Inc., 208Main St., in January 2001 to establish scholarships for high school seniors who have been adversely affected by cancer.

Since 2001, the Prodigal Foundation has given over 250 scholarships to students as well as their families.

"I was given only one month to live," said Yuhasz, who said it took him a long time to feel comfortable talking about his ordeal.

After being diagnosed with a massive carcinoma on the pancreas, Yuhasz didn't give up.And after receiving multiple opinions, he received the answer that he was hoping for.

On Jan. 10, 2000, he checked into Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland to have surgery to remove the mass. Dr. Kurtis Campbell determined that the mass that Yuhasz had on his pancreas was noncancerous.

"I thank God for what he [Dr. Campbell] did for me, and during my treatment I met and talked with other cancer patients," he said.

About a month later, Yuhasz met with some of his friends and told them he wanted to do something to help others with cancer.

That's how the Prodigal Foundation started.

"We had in mind starting a scholarship program for parents, aunts, uncles, etc., of students who were adversely affected by cancer," said Yuhasz. "But unfortunately, we found out that it was not the parents, aunts, uncles, etc., who had the cancer; it was in fact 80 percent of the time the children who had the cancer."

The Prodigal Foundation Inc. began a 2001 Scholarship Campaign in January 2001 by writing letters to school board superintendents, high school principals, and high school guidance counselors in Middlesex County.

"The response we received has been overwhelming," said Yuhasz. "Some of our recipients have also gone on to become oncologists."

The first page of the foundation's Web site [www.prodigalfoundation.com] bluntly translates the cancer statistics, displaying five children, two of whom are faded out. But as visitors to the site put their mouse cursor on the faded-out children, they are reminded that they can help.

"Statistically cancer strikes one out of every two males and one out of every three females in the course of a lifetime, the Web site reads. "Personally, cancer strikes one of every two sons, brothers, fathers, husbands, uncles, and grandfathers and one out of every three daughters, sisters, mothers, wives, aunts and grandmothers."

Arthur Lee Warren, principal of Woodbridge High School and first vice president of the foundation, met Yuhasz when he invited the three high school principals of Colonia, John F. Kennedy Memorial in Iselin, and Woodbridge High School to attend the first annual Prodigal Foundation Inc. scholarship dinner in 2001 held at the Colonia Country Club.

"I was chosen to be the spokesperson," said Warren. "I remember that it was a rainy day, but the whole aspect of the foundation moved me."

Warren said his journey with cancer started with a sore on his left thumb in 1997.

"I actually didn't know what it was, and my wife suggested that I go check it out in 1998," said Warren. "The doctors cleaned it out and I was prescribed on how to take care of it; however, it progressively got worse."

The doctors conducted a punch biopsy on his thumb and scheduled an early morning meeting a week later with Warren to come in to discuss the results.

"I was feeling no pain and I was feeling good," he said. "But when I met with the doctor a week later, the doctor came into the room with a sour look … he said, "Mr. Warren, you have cancer."

Warren said that was the only thing he could remember the doctor saying.

"My mind was running in a thousand different directions," he said.

Warren was diagnosed with melanoma, which is the most serious type of skin cancer.

"I was shocked … it was rare for African Americans to have a type of skin cancer, and the onlyAfricanAmerican person who I knew who had melanoma was Bob Marley [who was found to have malignant melanoma in a soccer wound on his right big toe], and he died because of it," he said. "I went straight to work and didn't tell my wife until later that day."

Doctors toldWarren he had to undergo surgery to see if the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes.

"There was a 50/50 chance that it had," he said.

Then came Friday, Oct. 13, 1998, when he underwent the operation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

"Even though it was Friday the 13th, it was the luckiest day of my life," said Warren.

A

week later, doctors told Warren that

cancer had not spread to his lymph nodes or any part of his body.

"I have gone back for six-month checkups until 2007, and thus far in January 2008, I have been cancer-free," said Warren.

"Every day is a gift, a treasure, and a blessing. Here I am with a wonderful family,

and in a blink of an eye things could change. People don't realize how important their health is until they lose it."

Yuhasz agreed.

"I have this new zest for life … [my diagnosis with pancreatic cancer] changed my life 100 percent," said Yuhasz, who is 53. "I'm not just talking, I'm living, I'm realizing to treasure what I have, not worry."

Yuhasz and Warren said it was important that their cancer was found early.

"If I didn't go to the doctor when I did, I would have been dead in six months … the cancer was just at the bone," saidWarren. "This is why this foundation is so near and dear to me. I want to do what I can for everybody."

Cancer affected their dear friend, the late Mayor Frank G. Pelzman, who suddenly passed away from acute melanoma on June 29, 2006, at his Avenel home.

"He was our distinguished speaker for our annual scholarship dinner six weeks before he passed away," said Yuhasz. "I remember he told us he didn't have any expertise in the area and decided to speak about a family member who had cancer."

Warren reinforced that time is so precious.

"Mayor Pelzman's death affected us personally," he said.

The foundation is voluntarily run and has a list of honorary trustees including James J. Elek, who founded J.J. Elek Realty in 1970, state Sen. Joseph F. Vitale [D-19], Freeholder John Pulomena, and Freeholder James Polos; and a list of trustees including John Vrtaric, who is the owner of Vatra Beauty Supply and Salon and Mr. John's Beauty Salon and is the chairman of the township Republican Organization, Betty Providenti, who teaches commercial art and advertising design at Middlesex County Vo-Tech High School, and Thomas Drew, who is the president of Drew Memorial Sales and Florists Inc. in Colonia and is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

"No one takes salaries," said Yuhasz. "This is a gift … it's a labor of love. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward the kids with cancer."

Over the years, Yuhasz and Warren along with Lisa Podsiadlik, vice president of the foundation, Rose Siecinski, secretary and treasurer of the foundation, and Yuhasz's wife, Linda, who works on marketing for the foundation, have worked together to come up with ways to expand the foundation.

"We have always had teddy bears, which people could purchase for a child with cancer … the teddy bear was kind of like the foundation's mascot," said Yuhasz.

In December 2007, the foundation announced a new initiative with "Sunshine," which will serve as the foundation's mascot of good will.

"Sunshine [who was played by Nicholas Trancredi, a trustee of the foundation] visited and will visit children with cancer throughout Middlesex County," he said.

Linda Yuhasz said that Sunshine was a hit with not only the children, but with the nurses at the hospitals.

"Their faces lit up," she said.

The foundation is in the process of working with Raritan BayMedical Center in Perth Amboy on helping the hospital to purchase five pediatric cribs and 20 sleeper chairs for their pediatric unit at the hospital.

The foundation has partnered with Vehicle Management Services LLC [VMS], which is a corporation designed and developed for the purpose of assisting religious, educational, literary, charitable and nonprofit organizations with donation and fundraising efforts.

People can donate a car, van, sports utility vehicle, truck, boat or motorcycle to help raise money for their favorite charity and can receive a tax benefit. All vehicles are accepted in any condition, even if a vehicle is totaled, and VMS will make arrangements with the donor to pick it up at their convenience.

Other events coming up include a pancake breakfast 8-11 a.m. Feb. 10 at Woodbridge Elks No. 2116, 665 Rahway Ave. The cost is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-10 and free for children younger than age 5.

The foundation will hold its second annual high school bowling tournament at 2 p.m.March 15 at theWoodbridge Bowling Center, 346 Main St.

"Joe DiSilvestro, owner of the Woodbridge Bowling Center, has been instrumental in helping us out, as well as the rest of the business community," said Yuhasz. "We invite all high school students to come and participate in the tournament. Last year we had students from all over Middlesex County that united as one team with us in meeting our missions and goals of reaching out to children affected by cancer."

The chairperson for the event will be Mike Yannazzo, who is a trustee at the foundation as well as the bowling coach at Woodbridge High School.

"Mike has updated the tournament format this year to include a stepladder final, which he feels will make it more competitive and fun for the participants," said Yuhasz. "In addition, we will have prizes for the students that raise the highest amount of scholarships for their entry fees."

Warren added that in the future, they hope to expand the bowling tournament into a statewide bowling tournament.

"We hope that the kids who participate in the tournament pick up the importance of what the foundation is for," he said.

For more information about the Prodigal Foundation Inc. visit www.prodigalfoundation. com or call (732) 636-9200.