For a stay-at-home mom of three young children, the annual end-of-summer, girls-only getaway was usually
heaven on earth.
But this year, Amy Howick, 41 of Bowling Green, was wracked by a constant pain.
"Every August there’s a small cluster of my girlfriends, we go to Put-in-Bay and whoop it up and
have fun. And I didn’t feel good at all. (Photo: Amy Howick, who is suffering from Stage 4 cancer,
outside her home in Bowling Green with her husband, Michael, and their children, Kate (2), Lou (6), and
Jack (4). (Photos: Aaron Carpenter/Sentinel-Tribune))
"It felt like Venus Williams lodged a tennis ball in the right of my spine," said Howick, who
initially thought she had a pinched nerve. "And cancer was the furthest thing from every doctor,
every person I went to. Cancer was the furthest thing from everybody’s mind."
Weeks of tests and scans finally revealed that Howick has adenocarcinoma of the small intestine, a rare
cancer.
"I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that I have stage four cancer," she said. "My
prognosis has been extended and, to be honest with you, I never really went into prognosis with the
doctor. Cancer is cancer and I am in stage four."
Howick said this stage is the worst and means that it’s metastasized and it’s in other areas of the body.

Still she refuses to let this "beastly" disease – a term from her blog – get the best of her.

"The oncologist said ‘you’re young, you’re strong, I don’t believe in numbers.’ There’s a lot of
survivors out there and you just don’t hear enough about them," she said. "You’ve got to live
for the day, I guess, and take it as it comes."
Helping her stay immersed in daily life are her husband, Michael, who works for Young Chemical, based in
Twinsburg, and her children. Kate, who is almost 2, has learned to say "I wuv you" and enjoys
nightly rocks with her mom. Jack is a high-functioning autistic 4-year-old who attends school at the
Jordan Center on the Bowling Green State University campus and at Toledo Hospital. Lou is a first-grader
at Conneaut Elementary and has caught the hockey bug from his dad, who is a BGSU graduate and Falcon
fan.
"My oldest son knows that I’m sick. He’s 6½ and he doesn’t fully comprehend cancer. He doesn’t
understand. He just knows mommy’s sick and every other week I get my medicine," Howick said.
The medicine is two chemo drips every-other Tuesday at Wood County Hospital, followed with a chemo pack
delivered through a port in her chest.
Friends, family and community are also offering a healthy dose of compassion and help.
Neighbors drop by with meals, her St. Aloysius prayer group cleaned the carpets in her home, and members
of Michael’s fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, have mowed the lawn.
"There’s been such an outreach from the community, my neighborhood, with meals. It’s kind of
restored my faith."
Everyone’s coming together Sunday for a benefit at the Pita Pit on East Wooster Street. Howick said 50
percent of all the proceeds between noon and 3 p.m. will be donated toward her medical bills.
"I can tell you that we’re just approaching the third month of this and our medical bill is
astronomical. It’s only the third week and I have 20 more weeks of chemo."
Greg Reitz, a member of Delta Tau Delta, said Michael Howick has been a steady presence for the
fraternity as it’s gone through four different advisers in four years.
He said the 45 members welcome the chance to help the family. In addition to the chores, Delta Tau Delta
is marketing the Pita Pit fundraiser on Facebook and around campus to other fraternities and sororities.

"We’re very fortunate to be able to give something back," Reitz said.
Another benefit is tentatively planned for Jan. 23 at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids. Howick is also
grateful for a shopping spree and Kalahari waterpark trip, given by Old Navy.
"I’m just glad to be in Bowling Green. It’s a pretty tight community and I’m pretty surprised and
overwhelmed about the outreach," Howick said.
On the Net:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/amyhowick/