BELLEFONTE — Everyone in the room knew they had good reason to smile Sunday.

“Surviving cancer is not an easy job,” said Dr. Kirti Jain, an oncologist at OLBH, as an elite group of local residents gathered at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital on National Cancer Survivors Day 2009. “It takes a lot of courage on the part of patients and that is reason to celebrate.”

In keeping with the event’s Gilligan’s Island theme, many in the crowd wore white Navy hats during the afternoon’s three-hour tour and were infected with the lighthearted spirit of the day. The survivors spoke of their battles with different types of cancer without flinching or any sign of self-pity, prescribing a positive attitude, determination, motivation and faith to others who are faced with a similar diagnosis.

Willis Potter, 83, wore his white hat with a natural flair that reflected his service in the U.S. Navy during War World II.

Dr. Jain said Potter always supplied him with fresh jokes during their appointments, although the physician’s wife, Asha, giggled as she explained her husband has a habit of getting the jokes wrong when he tries to relay them to her.

Potter, a retired dentist from Russell, has survived a long list of health problems including an even dozen bouts with pneumonia and a form of lymphoma that has been in remission since 1993.

“I’ve had so many things happen to me,” he said, shaking his head and shrugging as he explained he has been able to hunt, fish and play golf until more recent health concerns slowed him down. “I can still fish,” he said with a grin, noting he passion for catching bluegill with a fly rod using flies he ties himself.

Barbara and Jerry Artis of Ironton have each battled cancer, and were grateful to be able to attend the event along with their son, Tom, grandson, Drew, and great grandson, Trey.

“Yeah, we are survivors. Thank God we’re survivors,” Barbara Artis said, quickly adding, “It’s not a death sentence anymore.”

“We’re all just blessed to have them,” Tom Artis said, later acknowledging his mother as “a very determined lady.”

Their grandson, Drew, advises family members supporting cancer patients to maintain a positive attitude.

“Just encourage them. Anymore, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world,” he said. “And, even though it is hard to do, you have to stay positive with them.”

Carolyn Boyd of Grayson said her lymphoma diagnosis came as a complete shock, even though she had been sick for a while before her doctors found out what was wrong. She was admitted to the hospital immediately after seeing Dr. Kari Shields and awoke from surgery the next day with five doctors at her bedside waiting to tell her the news.

“I always said I wouldn’t take chemo,” Boyd said, recalling her change of attitude after her caregivers assured her she wouldn’t suffer with side effects such as vomiting.

“I did great,” she said with a radiant smile.

Boyd said people seeking cancer treatment definitely develop strong personal bonds and must deal with the harsh emotions when a fellow patient loses their fight, specifically recalling the loss of Keith Ramey of Carter City.

She praised the role played by her husband, James Boyd, who said her struggle with cancer has actually brought them closer together.

“The cancer was bad, but it brought about good things,” he said.

James Boyd said he was “in shock” when he heard of his wife’s condition.

“She was almost falling apart so I thought I should step up to the plate and do what I could do,” he said.

At the same table with the Boyds, Donna Thompson listened and said she lost her son, David Ritchie, to the same cancer Boyd survived. She pointed across the table to her sister, Carolyn K. Fields, and estimated her sibling has “a million dollar leg” after a several year battle with cancer.

Doris Garris of Raceland, who will celebrate her 74th birthday in August, was also surrounded by family during Sunday’s celebration. After surviving a bout with breast cancer 17 years ago, she is now dealing with a return of the disease in her spine and bones.

Despite the challenges, Garris said she relies on faith for answers.

“I put my trust in my Lord and my Savior … and my doctors,” she said. “Put your faith in God and he will take care of you.”

Jain agreed with the survivors’ observations about the importance of keeping a positive outlook in the face of cancer and noted advancements made in the fight against the disease.

“In 1900 there was a zero percent cure rate. In 1960 it was about 30 percent and today we’ve exceeded 55 percent,” he said, noting those statistics do not include skin cancers, which have became almost entirely treatable.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.