Cancer survivor gives generous gift to UCAN

A 98-year-old Fisk, Missouri, woman planned to continue helping others after her passing.

When Ruthanna Benjamin died May 4, 2021, she made certain her trust in others lived on.

While Benjamin's family will not discuss her numerous bequests, Sue Stuart Benjamin's second cousin and the executor of her estate is willing to share her gift to the United Cancer Assistants Network "because she was a cancer survivor."

The amount of the donation is not being released, but it has been described as "incredibly generous."

When UCAN executive director Melody Chailland saw the donation, it brought tears to her eyes.

"This incredibly generous gift will allow us to continue with UCAN's mission to financially assist cancer patients in our service area," Chailland said. "This donation could not have come at a better time. We recently had to purchase another vehicle for our transit program, (in) which we transport cancer patients to their treatments at no cost to them."

Chailland said, "Ruthanna was a breast cancer survivor, and she attended the survivors' picnic with us for many years. We wish we could have thanked her and shown our appreciation while she was still here with us. But we know she knows exactly what we will do with the funds and how many lives she is going to make a difference (in) with it."

Stuart agreed, "The reason I'm doing this is if it gives anybody else hope they can overcome it, too, then I think she would want me to do this."

Benjamin had a cancerous lump around 2004, which she had removed, and took radiation treatments.

Stuart explained, the cancer returned a few years later and she underwent treatment again. She was a cancer survivor for 15-plus years.

Benjamin was born in 1922 and Stuart recalled, "this November she would be 100, but she was 98 and a half when she died. She would like that half put on there."

Benjamin and her late husband, Bernard C. Benjamin, were educators. She taught in Fisk, but she retired from Advance (Missouri) Public Schools, where her husband taught and was a principal. He taught at Broseley, Missouri, the year before he retired. He was also a basketball coach.

Calling him a "remarkable man," Stuart said he was the love of Benjamin's life.

They were married Dec. 30, 1951, and he preceded her in death Aug. 30, 2005. They were married 53-plus years.

"Being a cancer survivor for as long as she was and as old as she was, when she had the surgery is pretty remarkable," Stuart said. "If it helps anybody, gives them encouragement, I'm more than happy to do it."

Stuart remembers her cousin talking about survivor picnics. She was more than 90 years old before she quit driving and she talked about how she was going to have to walk so far to go to the survivors' picnic.

"I get goosebumps when people get a surprise, gift or money from her, and there were a lot of people, beneficiaries, churches," Stuart said. "It was so much fun.

"There were a few I handed out in person to people. I gave it to them, and I tell you, that was better giving than actually getting. It is so exciting."

Stuart said, "I'm a cancer survivor, too. I had colon cancer in 2002. I'm a 20-year survivor."