When Debbie and Roger Delong, of Oxford, were diagnosed with cancer months apart, they had no idea the amount of community support they would receive.

Debbie was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer last October and underwent chemotherapy for several months, starting in December. She is now undergoing radiation therapy.

Roger was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012. After a brief remission, his cancer returned in February. He recently underwent seven weeks of radiation therapy.

Since their diagnosis, neighbors, friends, and members the Oxford community have been trying to help the Delongs, who moved to Oxford two years ago, in every way imaginable.

Shortly after her diagnosis, Debbie was approached by her neighbors, Wilma Jensen and Renee Rowe, who told her they wanted to begin cooking meals for the pair as they underwent treatment.

“They didn’t give me a choice. They said ‘We want to do this for you, we want to show you how much you are loved,” Debbie recalled.

What started as a supportive project led by two neighbors soon grew to include a rotation of nearly a dozen neighbors providing regular meals to Debbie and Roger.

“They would cook their special family dishes, pies… one man in the neighborhood cooked steaks, potatoes, and corn on the cob on the grill and he rushed it down to the house real quick, so it was fresh off the grill for us,” said Debbie.

Neighbors from around their home on Tanview Drive delivered the meals from last December, when Debbie began chemotherapy, all the way through May.

The meal deliveries did not stop until Debbie insisted they were well enough to take the reins.

Roger said he couldn’t believe the level of support they received.

“A lot of times people will start something and stop after a couple weeks. Their support never waivered,” Roger said.

Among the many other gifts of support Debbie received from neighbors were knitted caps to warm her head when she lost her hair following chemo. She was also given blankets, neck warmers, and books to read while she underwent treatments.

Members of Oxford Methodist Church and King of Kings Lutheran Church in Orion Township sent Debbie cards, letting her know they were in their thoughts and prayers. The Delongs have received nearly 100 cards of support from the community since last October.

They never expected so many people to show their love and support, and they are absolutely humbled. “There aren’t enough good words to say (about) what an outpouring of goodness everyone has done for us. I’d like to thank our neighbors, our friends and the community, in that order,” Debbie said.

Roger added, “People just went way above and beyond with this. It makes you want to be a better person yourself.”

With just two treatments of radiation therapy left, Debbie said her doctors are hoping to declare her cancer to be in a state of remission soon. Roger completed his final radiation treatment recently and is will take a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test next month to learn the current status of his condition.