Why I Relay
Friday, April 9, 2010
By: Alison Gyte

To honour the survivors!

I am lucky to only know survivors of this terrible disease! Strong, vibrant women who have fought this disease and won, but not all are that lucky. Cancer strikes most people in some form or another, whether it is personally or through a family member or friend.
3 years ago, when I was pregnant with my second son, I was told I had traces of cancerous cells in my cervix, but because I was pregnant they could not determine how bad it was and could do nothing to remove it. When he was 5 months old, they determined it was bad enough to require surgery in hopes of removing all of the cancerous cells. They did! I still have to have check-ups every 6 months to ensure those cells have not returned. My cancer was detected very early and was treated successfully, but regardless of that, it was a very scary time in my life. I can only imagine what my girlfriend went through as she courageously battled ovarian cancer or my cousin as she tackled breast cancer. It is for these women that I relay and hope to raise money so that others can become survivors too!