When we last visited with Linda Kato in November, she was busy proving that the best way to serve yourself is to serve others first. Everything a person
gives comes backKato, a state unemployment adjudicator, has a passion for helping people in need. When she learns of somebody in distress - friend or stranger - she is quick with a kind word, a sympathetic ear and, often, money 'borrowed' from her clothing budget.
Kato's other passion is entering contests. Her own dreams had just come true when her daughter Lynne won a $1,000 shopping spree at Toys 'R Us in a national contest. Linda was sure that her family's good fortune was a direct result of the kindness she had shown others.
"I strongly believe that what you give to others all comes back to you," she said. "The key to everything is giving of yourself to others."
A great story, but it didn't end there. Kato had a couple of exclamation marks left.
When I talked to her for the column in November, Kato promised to donate to a memorial fund for the son of a friend who had died.
The day she mailed a $100 check, she received a call from Central Pacific Bank notifying her that she had won a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the fixings for her family. "I'm sure it's valued at about $100," she said. "So again, I feel I got that $100 right back. Isn't it amazing?"
Absolutely, but the story didn't end there. A few weeks later, she received notice that she had won a Geo Tracker in a sweepstakes. What are the odds on winning two major national contests in a year? Geo was so impressed with her story that the company is thinking of featuring her in a national TV commercial.
And it wasn't even her first big win. A few years ago she won a trip to Disneyland for her family that paid for everything except walking around money. No sweat. She promptly won $500 from a local radio contest to cover that.
"I think I have a guardian angel looking over me," she said.
I hope so, because that isn't the end of the story either and she's counting on some heavenly help for a new challenge that faces her. In between prize notices, Kato, 45, received another bit of news: She had a rare adrenal gland tumor the size of a golf ball that would threaten her life if not surgically removed. Doctors told her they hadn't seen a tumor like it in 22 years. What are the odds?
Typically, Kato looked at things from the sunny side - grateful that the tumor was found before it had done irreparable damage and hopeful that surgery would clear up her high blood pressure, fatigue and other medical problems that had mystified doctors.
"I did cry when I was told that my lab results were 'alarming' and potentially serious," she said. "I was so unprepared to hear this. But as I prepared myself for surgery, I was very calm.
"I try to count my blessings - what I do have, not what I don't have. I think my positive outlook makes me feel healthier than I actually am. Hopefully, this positive attitude will see me through these next few weeks."
So far, so good. The surgery last Friday went well. They cut open her belly from one side to the other to remove the tumor and make sure there weren't any more. She was walking around the hospital the next day and was her old cheerful self on the phone a couple of days later. By the end of the week it was hard to tell from looking at her that she had been through a massive physical and emotional trauma.
"I've got to admit it hurts," she said. "I'm accepting all the painkillers they're offering. But hey, I'm here to talk about it. What more could I ask for?"
