OXFORD – Some people are truly angels, always there for others in their time of need and never hesitating to lend a hand or help raise money for a cause.

Carol Loefstedt is one of those people.

“She’s helped in many different fundraisers,” said Connie Rowlison, Loefstedt’s longtime friend and fellow member of both the American Legion Auxiliary and the Oxford Fire Department Auxiliary. “She’s always been there.”

Now, Loefstedt is the one in need, and those who she has touched with friendship and compassion over the years are rallying behind her.

In September, the Oxford woman was diagnosed with mantle cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer affecting the lymph system. She underwent four rounds of chemotherapy at Wilson Hospital before seeking additional treatment at the Cancer Treatment Center of America at the Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Zion, Illinois.

Loefstedt’s twin, Sharyl Patton, has been by her side since day one. Immediately following her sister’s diagnosis, the former-nurse rented out her home in Corning and moved in with Loefstedt and her husband Marty.

According to Patton, the care Loefstedt is receiving at the Cancer Treatment Center is exemplary.

“This is an amazing place,” she said. “It’s been wonderful.”