In Times of Need, Northeast Pennsylvania comes to the aid of its own. In our regular column, Patrice Wilding provides a platform for area residents facing a variety of obstacles to create awareness and connect them with much-needed help.
Who: Jennifer Ann Scutt gives off a spirited, positive energy with the way she is always laughing and making others around her crack up. The 40-year-old mom of four — including Neiko, 18, and Alyvia Scutt, 16, and Ryland, 8, and Dante DiAndriola, 5 — shows her kind-hearted and selfless side by putting everyone else’s needs before her own. She is the fiance of Paul DiAndriola and is employed through Kelly Services at Moscow Elementary Center in North Pocono School District. Scutt has continued to show her strength ever since being diagnosed with triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer in July, which is a very aggressive and difficult to treat form of the disease. Scutt began 16 rounds of chemotherapy in September and is scheduled to undergo a lumpectomy in March to remove the mass that remains following chemo. She then will begin radiation treatment.
What: Monetary donations are being accepted at paypal.me/jenniferscuttbenefit and through a meal-train page set up for Scutt and her family. Supporters also have organized a benefit that will include pizza, wings, soda and water with each $20 adult ticket, $10 ticket for kids 11 to 16 and $5 ticket for children 10 and younger. The event will feature a DJ, dessert table, and 50/50 and basket raffles. For more information, contact Stacey Scutt at 570-614-4255 or scutters28@gmail.com, Nicole Radick at 570-575-3566 or nesradick@gmail.com, or Paula Perry at 570-877-5580 or paula.perry1009@gmail.com.
When: Sunday, Jan. 19, 1 to 4 p.m.
Where: The High Bridge House, 1092 Route 502, Spring Brook Twp.
Why: Proceeds will be used to ease the burden of medical costs.
In her own words: “Knowing I’m not alone and the community support would make this process a lot easier.” — Jennifer Ann Scutt
Update
Organizers are gearing up for Paula’s Power, a benefit set for Saturday, Jan. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lake Winola Fire Hall on Route 307 to help Paula Vandorick, who has stage IV metastatic breast cancer-invasive ductile carcinoma. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. To donate, send checks payable to Paula’s Power to Marilyn Caputo at 201 Elizabeth Lane, Factoryville, PA 18419.
Caitlin Heaney West is the content editor for Access NEPA and oversees the Early Access blog in addition to working as a copy editor and staff writer for The Times-Tribune. An award-winning journalist, she is a summa cum laude graduate of Shippensburg University and also earned a master’s degree from Marywood University. Caitlin joined the Times-Shamrock family in 2009 and lives in Scranton. Contact: cwest@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107; or @cheaneywest
