COMING TOGETHER—Doc Dewberry, American Cancer Society community council chair, far right, speaks about cancer in the African American population and the importance of early detection at a pre-launch party for the Lesley Ann Henney Cancer Foundation in Simi Valley Dec. 5. From left to right behind him are family friend Eileen Cotterell; Lesley-Ann’s mother, Carmen Henney; and LesleyAnn’s godbrother, Rupert Grant. The nonprofit will promote testing, prevention, awareness and education about colorectal cancer in memory of Lesley-Ann, who died in April at age 44. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers Relatives of Sharon LesleyAnn Henney insist doctors missed symptoms and an early diagnosis of cancer that may have saved her life.

Described by her family as a vibrant, energetic and loving woman, Henney died of colorectal cancer in April at age 44.

“She was anemic and getting two units of blood each treatment,” said her mother, Carmen Henney. “The doctors thought she was too young to have colon cancer.”

Lesley-Ann Henney But rather than let frustration and regret overcome her, Carmen Henney decided she wanted to do something to alert other families about the necessity of early detection.

Earlier this month more than 75 friends and family members gathered at Carmen Henney’s Simi Valley home to launch the Lesley Ann Henney Cancer Foundation. The goal of the nonprofit organization is to educate the public on the symptoms of colon cancer.

“We want to get the word out at doctors’ offices, schools, colleges and churches,” Henney said. “We plan to give out home test kits to detect colon cancer. We’re going to support families going through this.”

Attending last Saturday’s gathering was Doc Dewberry, an American Cancer Society volunteer community organizer in Moorpark and Simi Valley. The ACS has no formal ties with the group, but Dewberry offered some welcome advice.

“I was there to educate the organizers about nonprofits and give them information on early detection,” Dewberry said. “The ACS wants to give the family support now that cancer has touched their lives.”

The Henney family has lived in Simi Valley for 11 years. Lesley-Ann danced ballet until age 18 and loved to read and take long walks.

She worked as a medical assistant in a Los Angeles doctor’s office and lived with her parents. Carmen Henney is a medical administrator in the office where her daughter worked. Leroy Henney, Lesley-Ann’s father, is an accountant.

When she started to feel sick in the first half of 2008, LesleyAnn became a patient at the UCLA medical centers in Westwood and Sylmar.

“She was weak, fatigued and very anemic. The doctors kept giving her blood transfusions,” her mother said. “They came to the conclusion that she needed a hysterectomy.”

The prospect of a hysterectomy devastated her daughter.

“Lesley cried and cried. She hoped to get married and have children one day,” Henney said. “Her father and I tried to reassure her. We told her she could adopt children when she got better.”

After the surgery, Lesley-Ann returned home to recuperate, but her condition didn’t improve. At her mom’s behest, doctors did further tests. This time, they discovered she had colon cancer.

Throughout the ordeal LesleyAnn kept a positive attitude, her mother said, even after a surgery that removed 18 inches of her colon and 22 lymph nodes. Chemotherapy treatment followed for the next six months. At that point, her prognosis was hopeful.

“She kept telling everyone, ‘I am going to knock this thing. It’s not going to get me down,’” Henney said.

Despite her determination, Lesley-Ann died at home on April 13. Her mother is haunted by the idea that early detection might have saved Lesley-Ann’s life.

“Colon cancer has nothing to do with age. It’s a body symptom thing,” Henney said. “I don’t want other families to go through what we have.”

Donations to the foundation will pay for the test kits that will be given out free to the public. Henney has applied for nonprofit tax-exempt status and all the paperwork should be ready by January.

To contact the Henney Foundation call (805) 583-3744 or (818) 613-1909. To learn more about early detection and to obtain other information, call the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.