MINDEN -- After watching her sister-in-law's struggle with breast cancer eight years ago, Jeane Mulreany was touched in many ways.
The experience influenced the Carson Valley Inn co-owner's decision to donate $50,000 toward Carson-Tahoe Hospital's planned one-stop cancer services center.
Mulreany recently designed a Breast Cancer Awareness Quilt to reflect what a person diagnosed with cancer is feeling emotionally, and to represent how the disease ripples out to affect family, friends and the community.
The quilt features a center heart to represent the emotional life of the patient. The four corner blocks are called "ocean waves," to represent the ripples felt personally and societally. Pink and ribbons triangles represent hope in the fight against cancer.
Mulreany has been instrumental in raising $12,000 for the national Susan G. Komen (breast cancer) Foundation and Lee Denim Days. But she wanted to do more locally.
Over the next five years, Mulreany will donate $50,000 to the Carson-Tahoe Hospital's new cancer center, expected to be completed by 2005. The Mind, Body, Healing Room will be named for her.
The center will include many services, alleviating the need to go to different locations for specialized treatment. It is part of Carson-Tahoe Hospital's new complex in north Carson City.
Patrick Mulreany, Mulreany's husband and CVI co-owner, said they want to support the hospital's expansion plans.
Cheri Glockner, spokeswoman for the Carson-Tahoe Hospital Foundation, said the Mulreanys' donation is one of two that put the foundation over the $5 million mark. She said it will take about $4 million to get the project off the ground, and the foundation is hoping for $12 million in local donations.
Mulreany's brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Linda Frankenberg, who now live in Salt Lake City, were living in San Jose when Linda was diagnosed.
Mulreany said her brother quit his job as chief executive officer for the Novell Co. to help care for his wife.
In remission for five years, Linda Frankenberg is doing very well, Mulreany said. Making the quilt helped Mulreany deal with all the emotions a cancer diagnosis brings, she said.
"I wanted to make a statement on how it made me feel," she said.
As for her donation, Mulreany said a computer company they owned went public. She said she could have let that money sit in the bank drawing interest, but opted to invest in the community.
"I always felt it is important to give back from my many blessings," she said.