Marine Honored With Cancer Survivor Award

CHICAGO - A Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) instructor was awarded the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2009 Survivor Circle Award during an awards ceremony at McCormick Place West in Chicago.

Gunnery Sgt. Edward Schrank, an instructor with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) NROTC unit, was presented the Survivor Circle Award and $1,000 during ASTRO's 51st annual meeting. The Survivor Circle Award recognizes a person living with cancer in the Chicago area who has devoted his or her time to helping others who are living with cancer in their community.

"Thank you for this award," said Schrank. "Eight surgeries and 13,000 rads later, I'm being recognized by the people who saved my life. I humbly accept this award."

Schrank was diagnosed with lacrimal cancer Dec. 20, 2006, while serving as an active duty Marine in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) with the IIT NROTC unit. His doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago attempted to remove the tumor and save his left eye, but were not able to remove all the cancer.

Schrank then decided to sacrifice his left eye for a chance of being disease free. He underwent intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and proton therapy at Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute in Bloomington, Ind., a year later.

After his diagnosis, Schrank founded C.STAR (Cancer Survivor Teams Activism + Resources), a support group that not only focuses on cancer patients but provides a special focus on the support needs of a cancer patient's family and friends.

Schrank's inspiration for starting the organization was his own support team that consisted of his doctors, loved ones and fellow Marines, including Gunnery Sgt. James Biggs, an assistant Marine officer instructor (AMOI) with the IIT NROTC unit.

"Gunny Schrank has been a great mentor to the midshipmen in the unit," Biggs said. "His can-do attitude has shown how you can attack the challenges in your life."

Schrank also devotes his time to giving back to the hospitals where he received treatment. He visits the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago Medical Center Cancer Center weekly to speak to cancer patients and their support teams.

While receiving proton treatments in Bloomington, Ind., he spent his free time speaking to the parents of pediatric patients and providing them with support resources.

"The way that these people stepped up to support me, going far beyond any reasonable expectations, is what I wanted to inspire in other survivor teams," Schrank said. "I watched as my support team struggled to deal with my condition and how we had to utilize mutual support in order to grow stronger as a team."

"Gunnery Sgt. Schrank is a hero," said Dr. Tim R. Williams, ASTRO president and radiation oncologist at Boca Raton Community Hospital in Boca Raton, Fla. "He has not only served his country as a Marine, but he has served his fellow cancer patients by providing them with support and guidance even though he too was struggling with the disease. Cancer can affect anyone any time – even a U.S. Marine in prime health, and Gunnery Sgt. Schrank shows that with the right outlook even something as terrible as a cancer diagnosis can be turned into a positive situation."

The NROTC program was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty and loyalty. The program also develops midshipmen with the Navy's core values of honor, courage and commitment in order to commission college graduates as naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the naval science, and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.