Karen Burns, Cleveland, OH

2013 Cleveland Ripple Fest Recipient

On December 7, 2011, Karen Burns underwent surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital to remove half of her thyroid due to several large nodules. Unfortunately, the pathology report came back positive for cancer and they immediately scheduled her for a second surgery on December 23 to remove the rest of her thyroid. The best Christmas present Karen's family got that year was being able to bring her home from the hospital on Christmas Eve. After undergoing radio-iodine treatment in isolation for 8 days in January and several months of recovery, she was pronounced cancer-free in July of 2012. Karen continues to raise cancer awareness for friends, family, and the community and is humbled and honored to celebrate life with friends and family as a part of Ripple Fest.