Susan Stachler's Story

You know, you can’t get through life without a sense of humor. That being said, yes, I named my tumor “Larry the Lump”.

Spring 2004, I was a senior at Auburn University, when I came home for a routine check-up only for my doctor to find a suspicious lump at the base of my neck. Now, most people wouldn’t think twice about it, but given my family’s history, I thought about it not only twice, but three and four times. You see, my dad has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and went through chemo right before my senior year, and I am named for my Aunt Sue who died from Hodgkin’s disease at the young age of 28. Needless to say, lumps in my family are not good.

So, over the next few weeks I went through much testing. I kept convincing myself, or I should say trying to convince myself, that my lump was actually just a corn nugget that got stuck or maybe even a ball of snot! The waiting was the hard part. We knew there was something wrong, but we didn’t know what. I was still hoping for a ball of snot but fearful of what it actually could be. One of the best things about my family (there are four kids in the family) is that my parents have never let us worry, maybe even when we should have. My parents do the worrying for us, while we all try to keep our sense of humor during serious situations. So, at this time we had fun making up theories about “Larry”, while on the inside each of us was unsure of what was to come.

While I should have been out drinking margaritas with my friends, I was driving back and forth to my house in Atlanta for testing only to find out that I got, what is known as, the “Big C”. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s, the same disease that took my aunt’s life. At that moment, my life as I knew it changed.

I honestly can say that I would not be where I am today if it were not for cancer. When bad things happen, some people say, “oh, why me”? I say, “it was supposed to be me”. For without me getting the “Big C”, there would be no Susansnaps, no Susan Carver Foundation, and I would not have a chance to make a name for my aunt, a woman whose life was cut short 30 years ago. Through my company, I get a chance to do something fun, positive, and life changing.

While my mom, raised in the restaurant business, developed the recipe for the ultimate gingersnap, I designed the logos, packaging, and marketing for Susansnaps. The two of us put our talents together and have been working side by side ever since.

Who would have ever thought I would have a cookie named after me and that one little cookie would change the lives of not only me and my mom, but help so many others. It truly is amazing how life’s challenges can be turned into something positive!

                                                                 -Susan Stachler