WESTWOOD, Kan. — Every Friday for six months, a window was the only way Steven Fuller could connect with his wife, Elizabeth.
"She's been like, the third window up here so she can see all her friends and family," Fuller said.
It was the only window inside what Elizabeth was going through at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
"It's been super isolating and difficult, especially during COVID," Fuller said, "And today's her last day of chemo."
For Elizabeth, looking out the window during chemotherapy treatments was her strength, and Friday would be the last day.
"Elizabeth is going to come down and she's going to ring her bell," Fuller said. "Kind of to have closure to this part of the chemo and the cancer process."
Usually, cancer patients celebrating their last treatment ring the bell inside, surrounded by friends and family. This time, the cancer center brought the bell outside.
The bell is a signal of hope and the fight that every cancer patient wants to conquer.
Her family would help her ring in the special moment.
"It's a sense of joy that we're all here celebrating. For the kids too, they get to see everyone lifting up their mom," Fuller said.
Elizabeth said at first, the bell seemed silly, but it took on a new meaning as the journey became harder.
"I can't tell you how many times I've sat through a treatment and I've heard them ring that bell and I think, 'OK, my time is almost here, it's so close,'" Elizabeth said.
Every Friday, Elizabeth was dropped off at the cancer center to sit through three hours of chemo without her husband, her mother, or a friend by her side.
"That's been the hardest part of having cancer through a pandemic, you have to do it alone," Elizabeth said.
But just looking outside reminded the young mother of three that better days are ahead.
"I can see them and I know I have people in my corner rooting for me to make it through to the end," Elizabeth said. "Push through, no matter how hard or how tired or how much I just wanna say, 'Screw it, this isn't worth it.' They've all been there."
Elizabeth's medical oncologist and nurses were also there to celebrate.
"It's really incredibly emotional and I will say that as her medical oncologist, oftentimes I'm in the clinic with other patients so I don't always get to celebrate the end of the treatment with patients," said Anne O'Dea, a medical breast oncologist at the cancer center.
Elizabeth has radiation and hormone treatments ahead of her, but said now she's looking forward to having more energy to have fun with her family.
