When Sherry Flynn found out she had breast cancer, she didn’t know how she would keep her mobile Notary business going. But her son, Thomas — also a Notary — came through and saved the day for her, she says.
Flynn, who lives and works in Silver Springs, Nevada, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in late 2011. Despite having to go through a grueling chemotherapy regimen, she was determined to keep her business going — but it was a lot harder than she first thought. Chemotherapy left her severely weakened and disoriented, which made it difficult to drive and complete loan document signings.
“I did not want to lose business from the signing companies I work for,” Flynn said, “but I was having trouble concentrating on all the paperwork, phone calls, emails and printing.” But her son Thomas — who worked as a Notary part-time in addition to a job at a healthcare facility in Reno — came to Silver Springs in the spring of 2012 to help care for Flynn and offered to assist her with signings during her chemotherapy. He drove Flynn to assignments, attended document signings with her, helped check paperwork for mistakes and ensured that completed loan packages were mailed properly. “He was my co-pilot on my signings,” she says.
While Flynn is still getting checked regularly, her prognosis is looking good. Her doctor reports that the cancer was removed successfully. “There’s a chance I may get cancer again — but my doctor says never in that spot,” Flynn says. Her mobile Notary business is still prospering and Thomas has returned to college to work toward a career as a healthcare counselor for special needs patients — but he still takes on occasional notarizations.
“He was such a blessing to me,” Flynn said. “I literally could not have continued on with my business without him.”
Notaries who want to fight breast cancer can help by donating to the National Notary Foundation’s Linda Bazar Breast Cancer Fund. One hundred percent of all donations are given directly to breast cancer research programs.
Notaries can also contribute to the fight against breast cancer by purchasing a limited-edition Notary journal that displays your support for breast cancer awareness. A $5 donation will be made to the Linda Bazar Breast Cancer Fund for every journal purchased.
David Thun is an Associate Editor at the National Notary Association.