As more than a dozen people gathered in the lobby of St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) in Twin Falls earlier this fall, Yvette Lane had no idea what was coming.

She was led into the MSTI library, and that’s when she received a wonderful surprise. Lane, a patient of St. Luke’s MSTI and St. Luke’s Wood River, was granted her dream.

She was presented with a gift basket full of goodies including two round-trip tickets to San Diego for herself and her husband, along with a stay at a resort in San Diego for herself and her family.

Lane also received $200 in spending money, six tickets each to San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park and San Diego Sea World, and an experience to swim with the dolphins at Sea World.

“I was blessed with the news,” she said. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity.

“My dream has been to swim with the dolphins.”

In November, she’ll do just that, with her husband of 25 years, Roland, by her side.

Lane, 48, said her illness came on quickly. She was diagnosed with cancer in March and it has spread throughout her entire body, including her bones.

Lane has carcinoid cancer, which is very rare. Symptoms often are vague and don’t appear until late in the disease.

Lane is terminally ill and knows this, but still, her energy and enthusiasm are contagious.

“I was gifted with parents that were super-positive, so I wake up positive every day. I’m still walking and breathing. Even in a stage 4 situation, I am so grateful,” Lane said.

The hard conversation of leaving her legacy remains. It’s something that St. Luke’s physicians, staff members and social workers feel is an important part of the relationship between patients and care teams. Learn more about that conversation at St. Luke's advance directives page. 

“It’s important for an oncologist to discuss the end of someone’s life,” said Dr. Dan Zuckerman, St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute’s medical director. “It’s our obligation to our patients. If someone has a limited amount of time and they know that, they may conduct themselves differently. You can’t avoid talking about it.”

Lane’s dream is made possible by a non-profit organization that grants dreams for terminally ill adults.