Brain cancer patient dresses as clown for treatment

Cancer has been trying to break Patricia Baker’s spirits for nine years, but it should be obvious by now that this is one fight the disease cannot win.

On Tuesday, the Clark County woman strolled down the halls of the Springfield Regional Cancer Center in floppy shoes and a rainbow wig, chatting with other patients who may have been surprised to see a clown getting treatment for brain cancer. But Baker, who has already fought off colon and breast cancer in recent years, said it was her way of cheering up other patients who are facing a similar fight.

“I almost called here and asked them if it was OK,” Baker said of the cancer center’s staff. “And I thought, no, I’m not asking. I’m just going to do it because that’s what I’m going to do.”

Brenda Lambers, a nurse at the center, has known Baker for several years.

“To see her walking in here in a clown suit for Halloween is adorable, but not terribly surprising because that’s the way she is,” Lambers said.

Baker’s fight with the disease began almost 10 years ago when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her mother had died of the same disease, and a different form of cancer also claimed the life of Baker’s father. Her sister, Lorette Rayburn, also died of cancer within the last year. Initially, Baker saw the diagnoses as a death sentence, but her doctor convinced her she would live.

“He said, ‘No you’re not. You’re not your mother,’ ” Baker said. “That knocked something in my brain and made me look at things a whole lot different.”

Since then, Baker said decided she would never let the disease dictate her attitude again. She said her faith in God has helped her stay strong.

“You’ve got to be happy because if you’re not happy, then you put everyone else down,” Baker said. “And I didn’t want to put anybody down. You’ve got to deal with what you have.”

Other patients, like Betty Schmitt, of Springfield, said Baker’s visit was a bright spot in the day.

“I was in the chair here when she came over and talked to me, and I was very surprised,” Schmitt said. “I think that’s really great.”

A positive attitude alone is not enough to beat cancer, Lambers said. But patients like Baker give Lambers hope.

“A lot of people ask me if working in oncology is depressing, and I see people going through the very worst times of their life with more dignity and grace than they ever thought they could muster,” Lambers said. “My patients amaze me every day.”