Published: April 02, 2008 02:32 pm            

Cancer survivors deserve recognition, celebration

By SARAH DRAPER

American Cancer Society Relay For Life

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is an overnight, life-changing event that brings 3.5 million people together every year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, to remember loved ones lost, and to empower individuals and communities to fight back against a disease that takes too much from too many.

Survivors and caregivers are truly the heart of Relay.

This year, the Hamilton County Relay for Life will be held on June 7 at 6 p.m. on the courthouse square. Members of the Relay for Life Committee would like to send out a special invitation for all cancer survivors and caregivers to attend.

Just what does it mean to be a cancer survivor?

Survivors range from people who are newly diagnosed and just beginning their fight to those who have been in remission for years.

Survivors can be women or men; maybe your aunt or your grandpa or your favorite cousin is a survivor.

Survivors can be young, old, or somewhere in the middle.

Regardless of a survivor’s age, gender, race or occupation, they all have one thing in common — they have fought a brave battle to do many of the everyday things others take for granted.

Survivors deserve recognition and celebration. If you are a survivor, attending this year’s Relay for Life means taking a lap of celebration with other survivors to kick off the event, receiving a free survivor T-shirt, and having the opportunity to enjoy food, fun and entertainment.

Survivors like Daisy Caudell know firsthand the experience of participating in Relay for Life.

Daisy, who has a family history of cancer, refuses to dwell on the negative. She is a nurse and has been a caregiver to many others.

She said care giving helped keep her going through treatments. Daisy says it is such a relief for her that the treatments are over, but that the experience of having cancer is always in the back of her mind.

Daisy is a member of the Hamilton Memorial Hospital team and encourages those experiencing cancer to keep a positive frame of mind.

In Illinois, the American Cancer Society has more than 120,000 volunteers fighting cancer. Many of the volunteers are cancer survivors, some are caregivers, and others are just people who want to see an end to this terrible disease.

• To get involved in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life or for free information and support by cancer information specialists, call (800) ACS-2345 or visit the Society Web site at www.cancer.org. For local event information, contact event chairperson Rhonda Cox at 924-3051 or at Rhonda.Cox@il.usda.gov.

        

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