This woman is wondering why her cancer is back?
The answer is dripping out of her mouth!
UFB!
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Photos: Helene Neville receives hero’s welcome home in L.V., film and TV offers
 MIKAYLA WHITMORE
Helene Neville, a world record-holder for running the perimeter of the United States, is welcomed home to
Las Vegas on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, at Buca di Beppo on Flamingo Road.
By Robin Leach ( contact)
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015 | 9:04 p.m.
Helene Neville Returns Home
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Runner and Cancer Survivor Helene Neville
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It was the culmination of a world-record run around the perimeter of the United States, and now Las Vegas
nurse Helene Neville, once again battling lymphoma cancer, plans to run again as Hollywood producers begin to plan the movie version of her amazing achievement.
This time, Helene plans to run for our Nevada State Assembly, and she vows to run all the way to Carson City from her Las Vegas home to submit her proper documents for political office. First, though, a hospital biopsy Wednesday to determine the extent of the returning lymphoma.
Another production company plans to film a TV documentary of Helene next spring when she completes her fourth book and returns — this time by car — to visit some of the cities on all four legs where she encountered her most memorable adventures — good and bad.
Helene completed the fourth and final leg of her 25-mile-per-day run across the top of the U.S. border with Canada a week ago in Ocean Shores, Wash. Her 3,680-mile journey began May 1 in St. Stephens, New Brunswick, the northernmost tip of the continental East Coast. Her entire run is on her website OneOntheRun.com: “3,700 miles in 128 days is a real achievement,” she told me.
In total since the first leg of her historic run in 2010, Helene has completed 9,587 miles around the country’s perimeter. Helene became the first grandmother, nurse, cancer survivor and at 55 years the oldest runner to make it all the way around three countries, 38 states and the District of Columbia from start to finish.
Each day, a new volunteer drove Helene’s battered 1998 Isuzu Trooper to the next town where people scrawled autographs and messages of support on it. The vehicle, which has had its engine warning light on the past three years, was at the finish line, and she drove it back to Las Vegas by herself.
A crowd of fans, family and well-wishers, including her friend Jennifer Romas and team of “Sexxy” showgirl dancers from Westgate Las Vegas, rallied at Buca di Beppo on East Flamingo to give her a hero’s welcome home. Our thanks to Mikayla Whitmore of the Las Vegas Sun for her photo gallery and Richard Corey for his YouTube video of the homecoming:
Over pasta and pizza at Buca di Beppo, I had a long talk with the brave and courageous nurse. Before she began the last leg of her run, she’d bulked up on pasta — to 128 pounds, from 112 pounds — to give her reserve energy. By the time she finished, her weight was less than 112, so it was time to feast again with piles of pasta and tons of tiramisu that Buca chefs prepared especially for her.
So now that it’s settled in that you’re back home and not on the road every morning for 25 miles minimum, how do you feel? How does it feel to own the world record?
I can’t even believe it. It’s so hard to put it into perspective because taking those four segments over five years to do it and sitting here where I don’t have to get up every day, although my body is wondering what’s going on.
I look back and I can’t believe I was out on that road every day around the whole perimeter pounding the pavement putting in miles and miles — and that I did it.
It has to feel rewarding because you got to tell your message about the importance of nursing to so many people.
Thousands, not just in the U.S., there were so many fans from around the world. Even the places that were devoid of people and the miles and miles of nothing, they’re noteworthy of when I did get to visit either one-on-one or a speech at a hospital or school.
I think one person can really make a difference. You can inspire. It was like a grass-roots movement. People following me and supporting me since the first leg in 2010. I have so many messages from people saying I don’t know what to do now — I’ve been watching you since 2010!
You are now going back across America to cities where you had memorable experiences?
Yes, but I’m not going to run. I’m going to somehow either drive or fly into locations when the entire fourth book is finished, which will be February, and then March I’m going to go back like a thank you America tour to see people who just loved and cared for me and for what my message is and who I am.
My story makes sense to go face-to-face and personally thank them because I only met them for one night on the run. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do since the first run, and I intend to do that with speeches, book signings, meet-and -greets because they’re all part of the story.
When do you start pre-production of the movie?
Well, once this book is done, all four legs, then an attorney will copyright a lot of things, or trademark. Then they’re going to take the book and, depending on how the legal thing shakes out, whatever they gleam from the book will become the screenplay. There is certainly a ton of material.
There is just not a better story out there really of a person on foot making a difference, trying to change the world one person, one mile at a time. There is so much that happened and unfolded over the years. There are some negatives, but for the most part the only word is beautiful. It’s such a beautiful display of humanity.
We are seriously talking with two Hollywood filmmakers, then one in New York for a cable TV documentary. It’s all new to me, so my attorney has to protect me for whatever they want to buy, so that’s exciting, but on my thank you, America, book tour, I’ll be filming the TV documentary.
Lots of interviews, maybe looking at the terrain where I was running. My audience are people, some of who can’t even afford to go to the movies, so TV is what works.
Are you glad you did this?
Oh, yeah. When I’m gone from this earth, I can say how I lived my dash, that dash in between your birth year and death year. My grandkids will be able to say, “That’s my grandma.” I proved every day that my core truth was nothing should be an obstacle to realizing your dream, or at least giving it a go.
Do you still plan a nurses marathon in different states?
Yes. I have the National Nurses Half Marathon 5K here in Las Vegas on Oct. 10, our third year. I would love to replicate that. I talked with to a lot of people around the country, different hospitals, where people or runs have been replicated in every city.
Going back to my mission or vision of acknowledging health care providers on the front line, we’re already uniquely positioned, but we have to get healthy first.
What do you do with your latest diagnosis?
Well, I have a bone marrow biopsy Wednesday to find out what’s the action. With T-cell lymphoma, there are four treatments: Nothing for two of the T-cell diagnosis or oral chemo or sometimes they do a lot more invasive things.
I’m pretty convinced that my low white cell count, because of having radiation chemo in the past, has hurt my bone marrow, and my white cell count is always affected. That’s what I was diagnosed with in 2011.
Now it’s back. They say it’s chronic because of all of what I’ve just done. It may have surfaced. The bone marrow is Wednesday, then it takes about six days to get the results.
Then we’ll go from there. I can’t imagine that I need IV chemo, I just can’t imagine that. It’s bad because I just kicked ass out there. I feel really strong right now, really good.
The bone marrow biopsies are so cruel, they’re so painful because you can’t numb the bone. I’ve had many, too many to even talk about, but it has to be done to pinpoint and figure out what to do and where to go from there. But I feel good.
When I came back to Las Vegas, I was so happy when I saw the lights in the sky. I’ve only lived here going on four years, but I’ve established so many bonds that are unbreakable.
That’s a testament to the really good people in Las Vegas. I was in Arizona for five years previously but never had friends with close bonds like I have here in Las Vegas.
It is an amazing city! People are genuinely very nice. People are just there for you. They really genuinely care and are loving and nurturing.
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Helene’s world-record run is over, but she’ll continue with her mission to win recognition for her fellow nurses. The movie and TV documentary of her triumphant feat are ahead, then her run for state political office.
Vegas DeLuxe will continue to follow the progress of this remarkable woman.
Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” fame has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past 15 years giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Las Vegas Sun Entertainment + Luxury Senior Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon. |
