LAKEPORT, Calif. – When she loved you, she really loved you.

That’s what Jim Mooney remembers about his late wife Vanessa, the fiery redhead who lit up his life for five years.

The pair met through a mutual friend, and Vanessa struck Jim with her indomitable personality, sense of adventure, and gentle heart.

“One weekend, I wanted to test drive a car. She jumped in with me and we drove up to Lake Tahoe,” said Jim. “We played in the snow, explored Ponderosa Ranch, played the slot machines for the first time, and saw a show together.” 

Vanessa showed Jim a world of firsts.

“I never believed I would fall in love with anybody; I didn’t even know if love was real. And then one day it just happened. I realized what she meant to me as a person. I realized love was possible,” said Jim.

When he contracted valley fever, a lung infection caused by fungal spores, Vanessa exemplified love in sickness and in health.

“I couldn’t get out of bed for six months. I lost 30 pounds, had pneumonia and truly thought I was going to die,” said Jim. “Vanessa came home during her lunch break to feed and dress me. When I woke up drenched in cold sweat she helped me into the tub and changed the sheets while I bathed. I never heard her complain once.”

To Jim, who grew up in a volatile home, Vanessa offered more than physical healing.

“She used to hold me and just listen; not try to fix it, not think about what she was going to say next. She made my heart feel safe. She brought me peace.”

Jim took Vanessa to Disneyland for the first time to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary, where she ran from ride to ride, proclaiming in wonderment that each ride had its own city. During the trip, Vanessa found a lump in her breast that felt hot to the touch.

“She was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and had a total mastectomy on her left side. But a year after her initial diagnosis, chemo and radiation, she was back in the emergency room. At that point the doctors gave her a year and a half to live,” said Jim.

Her breast cancer had metastasized into her liver, spine and bones, growing so quickly that her bones started to crack. Vanessa, determined to help others, asked Jim to coordinate the donation of her tissue to cancer research. She died six weeks later.

Breast cancer is a common killer in Lake County, where compared to the state average, the screening rate is 14 percent lower and the death rate is 13 percent higher, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital is partnering with Sutter Health to bring cutting edge 3D mammography to Lake County to help women fight cancer earlier, with superior clinical performance in detecting invasive cancer, lowering recall rates, and improving overall cancer detection.

“Early detection is critical to the fight against breast cancer,” said Jose Aponte, director of Medical Imaging, Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “3D mammography is the leading technology in women’s imaging – we can save lives by catching cancer earlier.”

Sutter Lakeside is less than $50,000 away from its goal of $527,750 to purchase a Hologic 3D Mammogram machine.

To learn more about 3D mammography, how you can support the hospital, or how to make a gift in honor of a loved one, contact Morgen Wells, community relations and fund development specialist, at 707-262-5121 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .