Susan Lloyd Scholarship Fund Honors 23 at Unitarian Church

By Bill Slocum

Twenty-three was the magic number as 23 teenagers and young adults from around Fairfield County who have been diagnosed with cancer were honored at the 23rd annual Susan Lloyd Scholarship Awards Reception Sunday at the Unitarian Church of Westport.
Susan Lloyd Scholarship Award winner Zac Meinero of Westport (c) poses Sunday with Susan Fund director Ann Lloyd (l), mother of the woman after whom the scholarship is named, and Zac's mother, Teresa. The Westport-based Susan Fund gives scholarships to students like Zac who have had cancer. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bill Slocum for WestportNow.com

"These kids are so amazing,” said Ann Lloyd, a principal organizer of the event at the church on Lyons Plains Road. “Being dealt a life-threatening disease brings out the best in them.”

The awards totaling $57,000 are financed by the Susan Fund, a Westport-based charity named after Ann’s daughter, Susan. Since its inception in 1982, two years after Susan’s death from bone cancer, the fund has given out 434 awards totaling $739,350.

Anyone who resides in Fairfield County, has cancer, and is either in school or a training program is eligible. Though there is no age limit, most tend to be college age.

At a time in life when crises are more commonly considered such things as acne and making varsity, Staples High School student Marisa Dabice found herself facing a rare cancer of which there are only 300 cases worldwide.

After two surgeries and extensive outpatient care to remove the alveolar sarcoma from the back of her nose, Marisa is today a picture of health, but the often-debilitating experience meant lost job revenue to help pay for college.

So the $2,500 check the Susan Fund gave her toward studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder next fall was much appreciated.

"It’s nice to know there are people who are willing to help, people who really care and make life easier,” she said as her parents, Phil Dabice and Rita Lazzoroni, smiled beside her.
Sixteen of this year's 23 winners of the annual Susan Fund scholarships for students who have had cancer gather for a group photo Sunday at the Unitarian Church in Westport. Among them are 2005 Staples High School graduates Marisa Dabice (sitting, extreme left) and Zachary Meinero (standing, extreme right). (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bill Slocum for WestportNow.com

Another 2005 Staples, Zac Meinero, is undergoing surgery and occasional radiation treatments for papillary thyroid cancer in his neck first diagnosed last August.

Described by awards presenter and Susan Fund board member Kathleen DiGiovanna of Greenwich as an art student of great promise, Zac plans to spend the summer working at a computer game store and as a camp counselor and amiably makes no concessions for his illness.

He and his mother Teresa agreed the $1,000 in scholarship money from the Susan Fund for his education at Quinnipiac University in Hamden meant more than the dollar amount. "You tend to feel isolated and get into a rut,” Teresa said. "When you meet other families going through the same thing, it’s so inspirational."

Indeed the recipients’ stories as related by DiGiovanna were an impressive collection of high grade-point averages and admissions to such schools as Yale University, Georgetown University, and Boston College.
Ashlee Moskwa, a recipient of a 2005 Susan Lloyd Scholarship and speaker at an awards reception Sunday at the Unitarian Chuch of Westport, stands with Ann Lloyd of Westport, mother of Susan and a director of a program that manages scholarships given in her memory to students like Ashlee who have battled cancer. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bill Slocum for WestportNow.com

Ashlee Moskwa, a four-time Susan Fund recipient now preparing to begin her senior year at Johns Hopkins University, recalled an ordeal that caused her to miss a year of high school and undergo 26 months of chemotherapy while she dropped to 92 pounds.

She told the audience that “cancer was a part of my life that helped me embrace life more fully.”

Also speaking was David Lloyd, Susan’s brother and an ESPNEWS anchorman, who noted his sister’s positive attitude throughout her illness. "We thought she was unique, but you guys prove us wrong,” he said. “If Susan could look down on us today, she would be thrilled with everything that’s going on.”

According to Ann Lloyd, money for the scholarships comes from individuals and foundations as well as the Susan Fund’s own endowment, which sets aside more than $25,000 each year.

Posted June 27, 2005 12:18 AM