Diane: My hope is for other employees that are going through cancer to know they’re not alone. And it is OK to come forward. And Costco will support you 100% on your journey.

Host Anne: That’s Diane Smith, a Front End Cashier in Plainfield, Illinois, and a Culture Coach at her warehouse. With the support of her manager, Matthew Day, her coworkers and her Costco benefits, she’s focused on healing after her cancer diagnoses.

Hello, and welcome to Employee Podcasts, where Costco employees share their stories of how their benefits help them on their health journeys. Today, we’re speaking with Diane Smith and Matthew Day.

Diane: Hi, Anne.

Matthew: Hi, Anne.

Anne: So happy to have you both here today. So how long have you both worked at Costco? What are your positions? And which location do you work in? Diane, if you want to go first.

Diane: I joined Costco in August of 2021. I am a Front End Cashier, and I am a Cultural Coach. I work at warehouse 1388 in Plainfield, Illinois.

Matthew: I started with Costco in 1989, in Pompano Beach, Florida, warehouse 88. I’ve been with Costco for 37 years now. And I’ve been a General Manager at warehouse 1388 for 4 years now.

Anne: So, Diane, we understand you’ve been navigating health challenges recently. Can you share your journey with us?

Diane: In 2022, I was diagnosed with COVID pneumonia. I went to see a lung specialist. And at that time, I found out I had a mycobacterial infection in my lungs known as MAC lung disease. So I underwent medicine for a year of treatment. And 2023, my blood numbers were completely off when they should have been normal at that point. So they knew something else was wrong.

So they sent me to an oncologist. The oncologist ordered a bone aspiration. And the results of that was leukemia, which is a blood cancer. So I then went for a second opinion down to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. I had another bone aspiration done. I was then told, I don’t have leukemia. It’s a rare marginal zone lymphoma with an enlarged spleen. So I did treatment for that.

And then, fast forward to October, Halloween, 2025. I went back down to MD Anderson for my annual PET scan and checkup. And it showed that I had a new cancer. So they did 4 biopsies in my right lung and 4 biopsies in my left groin. And it came back that I had an aggressive large B-cell lymphoma, along with the marginal zone lymphoma and 2 unknown cancers. I’m currently in chemo. I go 2 days a week. I have immunotherapy on Wednesdays and chemotherapy on Thursdays. And Friday, I get a shot. I have tomorrow. And I have 1 more session in 3 weeks. And then, I get to ring the bell.

Anne: That’s incredible. Thank you so much for sharing that with us and excited to hear about you ringing the bell. So, Matthew, you’re Diane’s manager. Can you share with us what it’s like to work with Diane? And how did she go about sharing her health news with you?

Matthew: Working with Diane is fantastic. Anytime you can work with somebody that has that much positivity, it makes it super easy. And not only that, Diane is so worried about other people. She cares about others so much more than she even worries about herself. It’s a really nice trait that she has. That being the case with her personality being so open, she was willing to come in and chat in the office when she’d get her downtime or her break. And there were occasions I’d just see her down. And I’d just ask her if she was OK.

And she started to share about some of the struggles she’s going on with, some of her health issues, and how concerned she was about missing work. And we just chatted. And she let me know that it was a form of cancer. And I shared with her also that just keep your head up, stay positive and stay focused on healing as I, too, is a cancer survivor as well. I’ve been through quite a bit of that stuff myself a few years back, and just make sure that she stayed positive and stayed focused on healing.

Diane: And Matthew has in the office a big bowl of chocolate and another bowl of sour gummies, Skittles, Nerds and different things. And it brings employees into the office. And it helps you get to know Matthew better. And it’s a wonderful treat to come into the office and be able to grab chocolate and sit down and talk with Matthew. And he has been a huge support and has become family through this process of the open-door policy, along with the wonderful employees that have rallied around me and have also become family to me.

Anne: That’s really wonderful. Beyond the candy dishes, Matthew, that you have in your office and Costco’s open-door policy, can you share a little bit how you went about supporting Diane after hearing her news?

Matthew: Sure. It’s basically, I just, when she was going through the worst part of it, she was missing quite a bit of work. And she was very concerned that she was going to lose her job. And that’s not at all Costco’s MO. That’s not even a concern. And we wanted her to focus on healing as opposed to worrying about her job. So I got her in touch with Costco benefits, in particular, Charlie was a big help to her.

We were able to communicate with her simultaneously through email and really gave her a bit of assurance that she could worry about just getting better, as opposed to being concerned about her job. And I think it impacted her greatly. She was much happier after she got to know Charlie and built a relationship with him. And she also got in touch with some folks at Unum that helped build more confidence in how she can get healing as opposed to worrying.

And there’s just a lot of different things that Costco offers. And when we take the We’re In This Together pledge, we take it very seriously here. It’s not just something we’re checking a box with. We want to make sure that we are informed and we’re educated in all the benefits that Costco provide to our employees and make sure we’re able to relay them to the people that need it. So if someone like Diane is ill and needs help, we’re educated and able to provide them with the information they need.

Diane: Yes, Matthew sent a fountain of information to me. The WITT program, We’re In This Together, was one of them. I did do the pledge. And I have learned a lot. I have also cried to Charlie at the benefits. And he has been there and listened to me and supported me and guided me and pointed me in the right direction. Same with Sarah at Unum. I have cried to her. And I emailed back and forth with them all the time, and Matthew as well.

And I call it a roller coaster ride when I’m emailing. Well, this is my new roller coaster ride. And they’re always, all 3 of them, are just so quick to respond. And the culture of support at Costco has just been outstanding. It’s just so much. And it really makes life so much easier for me, having all these programs that I was totally unaware of. My hope is for other employees that are going through cancer to know they’re not alone. And it is OK to come forward. And Costco will support you 100% on your journey.

Anne: Absolutely. You know, Matthew, it’s clear that your support to Diane has been so meaningful. If there are employees listening who are facing difficult personal news or challenges in their life, where should they go for help?

Matthew: The most tangible thing you can go to is your manager. A lot of the managers at Costco are very well versed in these programs. And if you come across one that may not be as well versed as they should be, go to your general manager. We’re educated and trained to get you in touch with the people you need to talk to, to get help. We’re not medical practitioners ourselves. We can get you in touch with people that can assist you. It’s a big responsibility we have to make sure that these benefits that are available there and readily resourced for our employees.

Anne: Yeah, that’s wonderful that employees have the space to connect with their managers and share their news and feel supported and comfortable.

Matthew: 100% percent.

Anne: So, Diane, you mentioned you’re a Culture Coach at your warehouse. You love to help people. And that extends to fundraising. Can you tell us about your involvement with the Children’s Miracle Network at your warehouse?

Diane: I always go to, in Oak Brook, where they bring employees from all the different stores. And we learn about the children. And we meet probably four or five different children with cancer. And fundraising for the children, Costco does the balloons. And like last year, we did a Cubs versus White Sox theme. So at the register when you’re scanning, you just start talking about it. And it’s really easy. And you just start talking to the member about these kids have cancer. And everything’s paid for, for them. And would you like to donate $5 or even $1. And you get to write your name on a balloon. And then, you can put White Sox or Cubs. And you can put it up on the wall. And they have fun with it, especially the fans that are wearing their jerseys at the time.

Anne: Absolutely. So, Diane and Matthew, we always like to ask, what’s your favorite Costco product?

Diane: I love the Kirkland water. I also love the Kirkland toilet paper. So I have a couple of them. Those are my 2 favorite products. And I will stockpile on both of them all the time.

Matthew: Those are both good choices, Diane. I got to go with Kirkland chicken chunks. For meal prepping, they are a joy.

Anne: Such practical products, I love it. We so appreciate you both being here today. Thank you for sharing your story, Diane, and, Matthew, for the open door and support you’ve provided Diane and your employees. Thanks to those who listened in. Until next time, remember: We’re in this together.

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