Page 6 The Rockford Squire, Thursday, April 17, 2014

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Julie Jots it Down: Two-rifc twins - Lisa, Laura
and their unbreakable bond
By Julie Spahn
They were always
incredibly close, two best
friends, says Rockford resi-
dent Gerry Brom of his iden-
tical twin daughters, Laura
and Lisa, both now 33. They
were also very active from a
young age. I would often fnd
them perched like gargoyles
on the tops of their cribs.
From crib climbers to
mountain bikersthe Brom twins always found ways to
channel their energy in healthy ways. Their parents, Gerry
and Judy, tried to
nurture the girls
love of the out-
doors. Family
vacations with the
twins and their
two brothers, Jeff
and Joe, ranged
from white wa-
ter rafting in the
West to historical
tours of the East.
My dad is a his-
tory buff, and he
made us all tromp
through Gettys-
burg with the full
audio tour, jok-
ingly remembers
Lisa (now) Inger-
soll. Our fam-
ily did everything
together.
Lisa and Laura graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic
Central High School, then were roommates as they fnished
studies at Grand Valley State University. Weve always been
inseparable, says Lisa.
Both girls continued to be active and to exercise. Laura
became a yoga instructor, and later earned a degree in Move-
ment Science. She was committed to a healthy lifestyle. No
wonder she met her future husband, Jon Golub, in a weight
training class in college.
Her gray-blue eyes were the frst thing I saw, says
Jon. I noticed them immediately. Jon is a 1998 Rockford
High School grad, and he later earned an engineering degree
from Ferris State University. Jon currently is an Operations
Managers at Klein Plastics.
Laura and I were both ftness buffs, he continues.
In class, we hit it off frst as friends. We werent seri-
ous right away. After the semester ended, Jon and Laura
often saw one another at Our Lady of Consolation Parish
where their families attended. Our faith has always been
important to both of us, he says.
Jon fnally proposed to Laura on New Years
Eve of 2004. They were married in 2005. Lisa was
Maid of Honor.
Jon and Laura wanted children but had diffculties
conceiving.
It was when we were undergoing fertility
testing that doctors found my cancer, says Jon. It
ended up being a blessing that we couldnt conceive.
Otherwise, we might not have spotted it until it was
too late.
Jons cancer treatments made the birth of their
frst child, Hudson, now 4, all the more unexpected.
It was shock and awe, Jon remembers fondly. Three
years later, Hudson was joined by a sister, Liliana.
In October of 2013, just after celebrating Lilianas
frst birthday, Laura came down with a respiratory
illness frst identifed as pneumonia. After weeks of
antibiotics and other treatments, an X-ray revealed
that Laura had a signifcant mass in her lungs. More
testing confrmed that Laura had Synovial (Spindle)
Cell Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive lung cancer for a
non-smoking ftness buff. We all realized that no-one
is guaranteed anything, says Lisa.
After meeting with doctors in Grand Rapids, Laura
and Jon visited the University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer in Houston. They are the leaders in sarcoma
treatment, Jon suggests. After much prayer, we decided
that was where we needed to be.
On January 31 of this year, Laura and Jon met with
doctors in Texas. The family found an apartment, and
Gerry and Judy packed their bags to join them. On Feb-
ruary 5, Laura began her frst cycle of chemotherapy.
Gerry and Judy were in the position to help.
Gerry had retired from his business, Grand Rapids
Transport, and Judy told her piano students that shed
be back soon. The circumstances were nearly idealJon
could work remotely, Laura could focus on healing, Hudson
and Lilana could soak up time with grandma and grandpa.
Hudson misses his friends at St. Peters Preschool, but hes
enjoying Houston. Right now, hes all about fre trucks, says
Jon. Houston also has police cars, metro trains, buses--even
the UPS driver is amazing to him.
Little Liliana, at 18 months, loves to spend cuddle time
with her mom. So when Laura lost her hair, says Jon, Liliana
really struggled. She loved to play with moms hair.
April 7. It was the day surgeons removed Lauras apple-
sized tumor. Pain from a 12-inch incision and broken ribs is
intense but the mass is gone.
Im still looking at those beautiful blue eyes, and shes
still smiling, says Jon. Even when shes suffering, she stops
to give smiles, to brighten other peoples days.
Lauras twin sister, Lisa, stayed in Rockford, but the sisters
talk by phone every day. Theyre still best friends. Its not an
ESP-twin thing, but we know each others thoughts.
Lisa wants to support her twin in every possible way. Shed
put herself in that Houston hospital bed if it would cure Laura,
and she prays every day. We have people praying with us from
South America to the Mackinac Bridge, says Gerry. Its such
a comfort, he says softly; it helps us get through.
The Golub family could use more prayer. Jon recently
learned that his cancer has recurred, and hes booked for surgery
while Laura resumes chemotherapy.
With Laura and Jon both in treatment, the medical bills are
climbing. Lisa is holding a fundraiser for the Golub family on
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at Buffalo Wild Wings on Alpine. Ev-
eryones invited to join the family for lunch, dinner or a snack and
20% of your purchase can be designated for the Golub family if
you have a special fier.
To learn more and get a fier, go to the Synovial Cell Sarcoma
Cancer Beneft for Laura Golub page on Facebook. (You MUST have
a fier with you if you would like 20% to go to the cause.) If you email
me at juliejotsitdown@gmail.com. I can send one your way.
We cant wait to get back to Rockford, says Jon. Were
hoping to fnd a new house right downtown so that we can take
advantage of everything the city has to offer.
Hudson should know that Rockford has an impressive feet
of fre trucks. Liliana needs to be assured that her moms hair
can grow back, and when it does, they can head to town for a
haircut. Yes, when the Golubs return, theyll surely discover
that Rockford is a place with a heart as well as a river. We offer
prayers here. And love.
Julie Spahn lives in downtown Rockford with husband Nate and
their three youngsters. She works as a communications specialist for
RTM Limited (rtmltd.com). To reach her with a comment or story
suggestion, e-mail her at: juliejotsitdown@gmail.com.