It wasn’t supposed to be like this.It never is.Akron’s Merendino family was beyond happy when Angelo, the youngest of the 11-sibling clan, married Jennifer Wise, the love of his life, on Sept. 1, 2007, in New York’s Central Park.Both had attended Akron’s St. Martha Catholic School; he graduated from North High School and she from Revere High School. Both were attending City College in New York when they decided it was time to tie the knot.Life was beautiful!Well, for a while anyway.Five months later, Jennifer was diagnosed with Stage III ductal carcinoma that resulted in a double mastectomy, intense chemotherapy, radiation and reconstructive surgery.For a couple of years following the treatment, it was clear sailing. “Cancer, however, opted again to interrupt our life,” Angelo wrote in his journal.“Some two years after Jen’s initial diagnosis, we received news that the breast cancer had metastasized to her liver, hip and sacrum. Jennifer now lives with the diagnosis of chronic cancer. Until there is a cure for cancer, Jen will always have to receive some type of treatment.”Angelo Merendino has used his camera lens to put a real face on what the cancer battle looks like, in ways that words can never do. He will exhibit his black-and-white photo-documentary, The Battle We Didn’t Choose: My Wife’s Fight With Breast Cancer, on Nov. 18 at the 78th Street Studios at 1300 W. 78th St., Cleveland. For information, please call 440-503-5506. The show also will raise funds to help the Merendinos with their mounting medical bills. Food will be provided by Ohio City restaurants Momocho and Market Avenue.“Pink ribbons serve a purpose but they do not tell the whole story of breast cancer,” Merendino said. “Breast cancer is a battle that should not be fought alone.”Daughter donates kidneyHeroes come in all sizes, ages and walks of life. They’re in the right place at the right time, when they’re needed the most.I learned of one earlier this week.She’s 52-year-old Cindy Moore of Akron, who on Thursday donated a kidney at University Hospital in Cincinnati to 45-year-old Stuart Addison, a friend she met a couple of years ago on the Internet. Her proud mother Judy Ross brought me up to speed, adding that her daughter — even though she’s now out of work — still went through with the donation.Judy’s husband and Cindy’s father, George, was diagnosed last month with kidney cancer and is receiving chemotherapy.Anyone wishing to send Cindy Moore well wishes may do so at 1911 Springfield Lake Blvd., Akron, 44312.Wheelchair donationThank you, Debra Roberts of Akron, who after receiving her Hoveround mobility chair, called me to return the electric chair she received last year from a thoughtful reader by way of this column.I received a slew of calls from readers needing such a wheelchair. Unfortunately I could choose only one, but I will keep the other names and phone numbers on file for future consideration.After I spoke with Gayle Stephens of Green about her husband Dan, 68, who was diagnosed a little over a year ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, the chair is going to him.A gift for Children’s Big, beautiful bouquets to the Ohio Fire Safety Coalition (OFSC), which recently presented $15,487 to Akron Children’s Hospital for the Paul and Carol David Foundation Burn Institute.Proceeds benefit the hospital’s burn center through various programs like education, medical equipment, prevention and research initiatives in addition to patient support programs like the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC) Burn Camp and research.“Funds were raised during the seventh annual OFSC Burn Invitational golf tournament held at Glenmoor Country Club,” according to OFSC spokesman Matthew Kuwatch. “Since its founding in 2005 OFSC has collected $177,000 for the hospital.”Cleaning up fitness centerA big shout-out to Willie Derricott, co-owner of Chic Diverse Barbershop (88 E. Mill St., Akron), who read fellow columnist Bob Dyer’s story about how badly the Akron Fitness Center (also known as Balch Street) has deteriorated and took it upon himself to help marshal a cleanup on Monday.Derricott and company will be there starting at noon with mops, brooms and cleaning supplies. The repairs, hopefully, will be left for others who care about the facility to do.Derricott is offering a special incentive for school-age boys to lend a hand after school (4 to 7 p.m.). Come ready to roll up your sleeves and you will be treated to pizza, soft drinks and the like. He’s even willing to schedule you for a free haircut at the shop. Just call him today at 330-379-0092 to put your name on the list and find out what you need to do.Veteran takes Honor FlightCongratulations to 83-year-old Ray Lovell, a resident for the last five years at Falls Village Retirement Center and a Summa hospice patient since June. He was treated to a real lift Wednesday when he took the much-anticipated Honor Flight from Cleveland to Washington, D.C.Lovell is a Korean War veteran, having worked as a tank mechanic overseas for three years beginning in 1952. “After his time in the Army, he devoted his career to the Marriott, where he traveled across the country working in operations management,” said Summa spokeswoman Erica Rosenthal. Mike Tripodi, an on-call supervisor with Hospice of Summa, was Lovell’s guardian on the trip.“In Washington, they visited the war memorials and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, among other activities,” Rosenthal said.Tripodi will serve as flight nurse when he boards Honor Flight again on Nov. 9. Honor Flight is a network of nonprofits that come together to honor veterans and provide them a free flight to the nation’s capital to visit the war memorials and reconnect with the past.‘Fill the Truck’ eventFamily Promise and Ott Electric are encouraging the community to help them “Fill the Truck” with cleaning supplies (mops, brooms, bleach, paper products and the like) for previously homeless families, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on these days:• Sunday — First Congregational Church of Stow, 3493 Darrow Road, Stow.• Nov. 6 — Northwest Avenue Church of Christ, 737 Northwest Ave., Tallmadge.• Nov. 13 — First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls, 245 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls.• Nov. 20 — First Congregational Church of Tallmadge, 85 Heritage Drive, Tallmadge.Look for the Ott Electric Truck and enjoy prizes and discounts. Family Promise of Summit County helps homeless families with children stay together and achieve independence by providing shelter, food and more. Funding comes from foundations, corporations, faith-based organizations and individual donors.Coat drive scheduled The LeBron James Grandmothers Fan Club is sponsoring its second annual Children’s Coat Drive through Dec. 1 at Akron’s Helen Arnold Community Learning Center, 450 Vernon Odom Blvd.Please drop off new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, socks and belts in sizes to accommodate children in grades K-5 at the school office from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, please call Eula Guess at 330-644-1756, Georgia Richardson at 330-864-6967 or club President Alder Chapman at 330-784-2544. Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.