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HOWLAND -- For the past 20 years, Howland resident Jeanette Howell has taken part in the Warren Relay For Life, which traditionally is held over Mother's Day weekend on Courthouse Square.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Relay was moved to Aug. 1, but family and friends wanted to make sure Howell still was able to take her survivor's lap, so they surprised her Friday evening with a small Relay with signs and purple balloons set up at her home in Howland.
Melaney Burkey and a few other family and friends decorated her mother's garage door with Relay For Life signs and decorations and were able to get Howell out of the house to see it.
Howell was given flowers, cards and a purple-colored paper necklace with 21 rings to wear as she walked around part of the yard for the survivor's lap while Burkey had music playing on her cellphone.
"Quarantine 2020 is not ruining our Relay. Let's have a survivors lap," Burkey said as she was playing the music.
Howell said she couldn't believe she didn't hear anyone outside putting up the decorations.
"How did I not know all this was going on outside. When I walked outside and saw all these cars I thought 'what is going on,'" Howell said, noting even the family poodle, Bella, who turned 10 on Thursday, did not suspect anything.
Howell said she had surgery in February, so she is focusing on staying well but would have been at the Relay if it took place Friday and Saturday.
"This would be my 21st year being part of Relay. I love it. In 1999, my friend Kitty took me to Relay and I wasn't a survivor yet because I still had cancer, but she and my husband, and my daughter have been there every year with me," Howell said.
Howell was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 1999 and walked her very first survivor lap the following year.
" My dad, myself and my mom's friend Kitty have never missed her walk that lap in the past 20 years come rain or shine or even through her cancer treatments, diabetes, CHF or sciatica problems. Enter year 21 and the coronavirus pandemic of 2020," Burkey said. "She truly just deserves it. She's a wonderful mother and an even better friend and deserves to be celebrated."
Kitty Nielson of Howland was among those watching the event. She brought her friend flowers.
"She is always there for me and on July 28, the anniversary of my 1999 surgery, she always brings me pink roses," Howell said of Nielson.
Burkey said she told her mother she was stopping Friday evening to get everyone something to eat and told her mom to fix herself up special.
"She told me I would feel better if I got my hair nice and put on a little makeup so I did. I told my husband I should do some Phyllis Diller eyeshadow makeup but my daughter told him to make sure I didn't," Howell said.
She said she and her husband, Dan, are planning a vacation in early August to South Carolina if possible and they would not be able to attend the Aug. 1 Relay.
Howell said she credits the treatments she receives at University Hospitals in Cleveland for surviving cancer for 20 years.
"I love the doctors and staff there and all the care they give," she said. "I have been very blessed and continue to be very blessed," she said.
bcoupland@tribtoday.com