Why I relay
Sunday, March 25, 2012
By: Brittaney Walsh

Everyone has their own reasons for why they take part in Relay for Life, here is my story.

Like all those who take part in Relay for Life, I relay to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
However, my motivation that drives me through the night steams from my own personal experiences. As I remember growing up knowing what Cancer was and that it was something that is bad and changes people’s lives forever. Yet when I was little I always thought that my family was safe from Cancer and that it could not affect us. Looking back on that now I see how foolish I was to think that as the first person I knew who had cancer was my Granddad (My Fathers dad). He had colon cancer. I was seven when he passed away, and now one of my strongest memories of him is sitting on his lap with him bouncing my sister and I up and down, while he sang the horsey children's song.
What I did not realize then was that would not be my only encounter with cancer. As a few years later some of my friends had family members that had their own fights with cancer; I watched these fights from the sidelines offering my friends support when they needed it, and secretly thinking that my family is safe. By this time I was in high school and had developed an understanding of the effects of cancer (one that I was lacking when I was younger). I recall attending funerals with my parents for close family friends and distant family members, all who had lost their battles with cancer; and wondering why? Why did they get cancer? Why did they lose their fight? Is there not a cure? But these thoughts did not stay with me long as I was young, busy and still believed that my family was safe.
However, this all changed at the end of my first year of College. The second semester had started off slow and I had often traveled home on weekends as my Dad had broken his arm just before Christmas and my mum needed help at home. Mid-terms came and went. I tried to call home at least a few times a week to check in with my parent, but I remember a few times my mum answering the call and sounding worried, but just brushing it off when I asked if everything was ok. I know now that my mum was trying to stay strong and not let my older sister or I worry. It was not until the end of April when my final exams where done and I had once again moved home for the summer, that my parents sat my sister Kristina and I down in our family room to tell us something important. I remember now how quiet it was and how it seemed unreal when they told us that my dad had Prostate Cancer. I recall my sister asking if they were sure, and me thinking that it could not be true as my family was safe. Yet they weren't...and I could not let myself react in front of my dad as that would be unfair to him. As I knew it must have taken a lot of strength for him to tell us that he had Cancer. I thank my friends for all the support and strength they gave me and my family during my dad’s fight and victory against cancer. After my dad recovered from his surgery to remove the cancer, I came to an understanding that my family was no longer safe and I began hoping and wishing that cancer would not affect my loved ones ever again.
Yet, wishes don’t always come true as I learned roughly half a year later when it was time for my dad’s follow up to make sure the cancer had not returned. Once again my parents sat both my sister and I down. This time I thought, I was ready for anything they could possible tell me. I was wrong. They started with the wonderful news that my dad’s test results came back clean. The cancer was still in remission. However, they had just received word that my Uncle Ray who had come over from England when my dad was diagnosed was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. I was dumfounded and did not know how to react. I was over the moon that my dad was cancer free but heartbroken that my uncle now had to face the same battle that he just watched his younger brother brave.
Knowing his options, my uncle made the same decision that my father made and decided to have his prostate removed.
My family had now fought Cancer three times and won twice. Yet this was not to be the last of our battles with cancer, as my uncle Dave was diagnosed not long after my uncle Ray with cancer as well. I could not believe it and started to think, we have fought cancer four times and won three of the battles, we have had our share of Cancer and Cancer scares. (As my mum had previously had a biopsy for a lump she found on her chest (it had come back as a benign lump)). Yet I could not have been more wrong. As when I went to be tested for celiac disease (As I was having quiet bad stomach pain)....I was told it could either be celiac or stomach cancer. The idea was freighting, I spent the majority of the summer going through blood testing, stomach biopsies and doctor’s appointments all while I kept the possibility of me having cancer a secret from everyone, including my parents. I finally broke down and told my family the week before I was to get my results.
The day I went to my doctors office to get my results I had my own personal army (My parents and my godmother) with me to give me strength as well as be a second pair of ears just in case the news was bad. I was incredibly fortunate that my doctor only informed me that I can no longer eat gluten and that there were no traces of cancer found. But the whole experience left me changed and once again asking why? Why is there no cure? How can we help?
These questions now drive me to increase awareness, encourage others to get checked out and take part in events like Relay for Life. As cancer can be defeated, it just takes an army of people. So please volunteer, donate or participate and help fight cancer.

Sincerely,
Brittaney Walsh