The AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation has recognized three local women as its 2025 Humanitarians of the Year for turning their personal experiences with cancer into meaningful contributions to community health and healing.
Carla Cline, Nancy Katz-Arceo, and Muffy Runnells were honored for their work as survivors, supporters, and advocates who have strengthened health and hope throughout the community. Their efforts align with AdventHealth’s mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ and help people feel whole in body, mind, and spirit.
“Through their generosity and strength, these women remind us that healing isn’t limited to hospitals,” said John Subers, executive director of the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation. “Their impact ripples through families, neighborhoods, and lives. They’ve inspired all of us to care more deeply for one another.”
Carla Cline: Community Connection Through Adversity
Carla Cline demonstrated her commitment to community during the COVID-19 pandemic when she created a way to unite neighbors in showing gratitude for frontline caregivers. The initiative grew into a countywide effort that also provided support for small businesses.
Her personal connection to healthcare deepened when she received a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. Cline underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy followed by a double mastectomy at AdventHealth Palm Coast, completing her treatment in early 2024.
“I feel very lucky that the care was close to home was good,” Cline said. “I went to the hospital almost four days a week. Driving an hour and a half each time would have made this so much harder — I cannot imagine it.”
A lifelong Flagler County resident, Cline continues supporting programs that bring neighbors together, including youth initiatives and local health efforts.
Nancy Katz-Arceo: Resilience Through Multiple Battles
Nancy Katz-Arceo has faced cancer seven times since she was 14 years old. Throughout Palm Coast, she is known for her optimism and her efforts to comfort others undergoing treatment through conversations, handwritten notes, and simple acts of kindness.
“Every challenge has made me more grateful and more grounded in faith,” Katz-Arceo said. “The most important thing we can do is be kind — to ourselves and to each other. Kindness makes the hard days lighter.”
She credits her care teams and community for helping her maintain her strength through multiple cancer diagnoses. “I’ve been blessed with great people, great health care and great facilities — and it’s all right here at home,” she said.
Muffy Runnells: Research Funding From Personal Loss
After losing her husband, Christopher K. Glanz, to a rare form of bladder cancer, Muffy Runnells began supporting cancer care at AdventHealth Palm Coast by funding equipment and helping develop tumor board programs that improve treatment coordination among medical professionals.
Runnells later established the Christopher K. Glanz Endowed Chair in Bladder Cancer Research at the AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Orlando. The endowed chair supports the work of Dr. Guru Sonpavde, an international leader in bladder cancer clinical trials.
“Bladder cancer doesn’t get the same attention or funding as other cancers,” Runnells said. “I wanted to make sure that people facing this diagnosis — and their families — have more options than we did.”
Sonpavde said Runnells’s commitment has already accelerated progress in bladder cancer research and treatment. “Muffy’s generosity brought promising trials to our area that would otherwise not be available,” he said. “Her compassion is helping patients across Florida and beyond.”
The three honorees represent different aspects of the cancer journey, from personal survival to supporting others through treatment to funding research that could benefit future patients. Their recognition highlights how individuals can transform difficult personal experiences into broader community benefits that extend beyond their own circumstances. The AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation’s selection of these three women acknowledges the various ways people contribute to healthcare and community wellness beyond traditional medical roles.
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