Cancer sparks action by C-Falls businesswoman

Relay for Life takes place here on July 13-14

Many mothers cry at the sight of a cap and gown on their child’s graduation day. But for Angie Olsen, it was the image of her daughter’s worn pink-and-turquoise shoes below her gown that triggered her tears. Olsen hadn’t thought to buy her daughter new shoes for the occasion and the bright colors made her daughter stand out in the crowd of teens.

Olsen was almost embarrassed at first, but the young girl insisted they were the shoes she wanted to wear. Then it dawned on her — until that day, Olsen wasn’t sure she would live to see her daughter graduate from high school. Since her breast cancer diagnosis in 2007, Olsen had battled not only the cancer itself but a series of complications that included infections, blood clots and drug allergies.

For her, it was a truly a gift to see her daughter graduate in those shoes that set her apart from everyone else. Now Olsen says she will make sure her other children wear brightly colored shoes to their graduations so they’re just as easy to find.

Olsen, who owns Angie’s Greenhouse in Columbia Falls, said she never worried about cancer when she was her daughter’s age because she believed there would be a cure by the time — and if — she ever needed one.

But that cure has not arrived. Olsen’s daughter will begin regular mammograms within the next five years because of her family medical history — cancer is also present in Olsen’s husband’s family. That’s one reason Olsen has worked hard to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

“I hope the cure that I thought would be there will be there someday for my kids,” she said.

Angie’s Greenhouse has a team at the Relay for Life event in Columbia Falls each year, and Olsen creates baskets for sponsored fundraising. This year’s Columbia Falls Relay for Life event will take place July 13-14 at the Columbia Falls High School track. The event starts at 6 p.m. and ends 13 hours later at 7 a.m. The goal is to raise $25,000.

Olsen also spearheaded the local chapter of Kids Konnected about a year after her diagnosis. The annual Kids Konnected camp at Bitterroot Lake brings together families with a child or parent who has received a cancer diagnosis.

Activities such as a pickling bee and crawdad fishing help return some sense of fun and normalcy during what can be an emotional experience. The organization also sponsors events such as Christmas parties and provides informational baskets to families dealing with cancer.

Olsen also helped found a local support group, Flathead Valley Young(er) Women Surviving Breast Cancer. The group holds monthly meetings and encourages anyone who wishes to join to check the group’s Facebook page for updates.

“If you can help somebody else feel better, it seems to make you feel better,” she said.

It has also been important for Olsen to keep doing the things she loves, she said. She’s been in the greenhouse business for 18 years, beginning with a small greenhouse in high school.

After winning awards for agribusiness and floriculture as a teenager, the FFA and 4-H member studied the business at Montana State University in Bozeman before starting her business in Columbia Falls.

Olsen has kept hard at work in the garden throughout her illness. She consolidated two locations to one shortly after her diagnosis and continues to grow plants at her Helena Flats home for her greenhouse and for wholesale distribution to other greenhouses and nurseries.

Although she has to be careful about motion and lifting, Olsen said the movement of gardening seems to help. She donates gift certificates to local oncology clinics so other women who want to garden can enjoy the experience as well.

“You’ve just got to stay positive,” she said, “and continue doing what you like to do as much as possible.”

Since many of Olsen’s complications came along with her reconstructive surgeries, she said she has come to place less importance on outward appearances.

“Don’t worry about the cosmetic aspect,” she said. “That’s not the most important thing.”

Olsen encourages anyone with a cancer diagnosis to look into the resources made available by the American Cancer Society. The ACS can help with plane tickets and lodging during treatment, she said, as well as resources for drugs and medications.

For more information about resources and fundraising, visit online at www.cancer.org.