AUBURN - When Mona Lisa Newman Jones was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia just four months back, her family rallied to help in any way that they could, even though many of them live in southeastern United States.
Though Jones is a Red Creek resident, that didn't stop the Auburn community from sponsoring Mona Lisa's Ball, a benefit held at the Polish Falcons Saturday.
"A lot of these people I haven't seen in 15 years or more," Jones said. "My son and daughter came up from North Carolina, and many of the others are scattered as well."
Wearing red T-shirts with the logo of the day, donated by The Printery, friends, family and others stopped in for the baked ziti and tossed salad dinner. All of the food was donated by area restaurants.
Jones was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in April. She had thought orginally that she was just chronically tired.
"At the time, I was taking care of my mother-in-law who has Alzheimer's disease," Jones said. "I thought that being tired all of the time was because of that. Or maybe that I had chronic fatigue syndrom. When I went to the doctors because I kept getting bronchitis, they sent me from one specialist to another. I didn't realize that it could be cancer until they sent me to a cancer specialist."
Chronic myelogenous leukemia results from a change in the DNA of a stem cell in the bone marrow. The change causes an uncontrolled growth of white cells in the blood. These changes are not present at birth, and occur typically in adults.
"I try to keep positive thoughts," Jones said. "I am usually an active person, but now I cannot even clean my house without becoming tired. It is being tired all of the time and the not knowing that really get to me."
Area bands John Reilly and the Roadside Travelers, The Jitterz and The Disclaimers donated their time and talents for the day's event.
Fourteen-year-old Nicole Hoey also sang at the event. Hoey wanted to donate her talent when she heard that Jones was a graduate of Southern Cayuga High School, the school which Hoey attends.
To help with expenses incurred from her ailment, area merchants donated several door prizes and raffle items.
"Mona is the oldest of four sisters," said Sheila Hardy, Jones' youngest sister. "She is the one that keeps us together. She is the mother sister."
Jones said that doctors are hopeful that her disease will go into remission.
"All in all, I will try to keep positive," she said. "I tell my family that there will be no negative words in my house."
"A lot of these people I haven't seen in 15 years or more," Jones said. "My son and daughter came up from North Carolina, and many of the others are scattered as well."
Wearing red T-shirts with the logo of the day, donated by The Printery, friends, family and others stopped in for the baked ziti and tossed salad dinner. All of the food was donated by area restaurants.
Jones was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in April. She had thought orginally that she was just chronically tired.
"At the time, I was taking care of my mother-in-law who has Alzheimer's disease," Jones said. "I thought that being tired all of the time was because of that. Or maybe that I had chronic fatigue syndrom. When I went to the doctors because I kept getting bronchitis, they sent me from one specialist to another. I didn't realize that it could be cancer until they sent me to a cancer specialist."
Chronic myelogenous leukemia results from a change in the DNA of a stem cell in the bone marrow. The change causes an uncontrolled growth of white cells in the blood. These changes are not present at birth, and occur typically in adults.
"I try to keep positive thoughts," Jones said. "I am usually an active person, but now I cannot even clean my house without becoming tired. It is being tired all of the time and the not knowing that really get to me."
Area bands John Reilly and the Roadside Travelers, The Jitterz and The Disclaimers donated their time and talents for the day's event.
Fourteen-year-old Nicole Hoey also sang at the event. Hoey wanted to donate her talent when she heard that Jones was a graduate of Southern Cayuga High School, the school which Hoey attends.
To help with expenses incurred from her ailment, area merchants donated several door prizes and raffle items.
"Mona is the oldest of four sisters," said Sheila Hardy, Jones' youngest sister. "She is the one that keeps us together. She is the mother sister."
Jones said that doctors are hopeful that her disease will go into remission.
"All in all, I will try to keep positive," she said. "I tell my family that there will be no negative words in my house."
