Over the past six years of my life, my name has come to be
synonymous with Relay For Life. And with all the facebook posts and constantly
telling people to come to Relay events, I'm not surprised. However, many people
don't know why I Relay. Sure, people know I've done it for a long time, but
most people don't know what drives me in the fight against cancer. Well, six years
of fighting cancer is hard to describe in a few words, but hopefully this blog
post will do it some justice.
My story with cancer began at the age of 11. I didn't really
know much about the disease, except that it was something that life threatening
that caused people shaved their heads.
My cousin in Pakistan had been diagnosed with cancer, so we were going
to visit him in December of 2005 for a month and a half. The last time I had
seen my cousin was when I was two, so I barely remembered anything about him.
Everything I was expecting was based on the few photos I had seen of him before
our trip. When I actually met him, I was in shock. His skin had been darkened
by the radiation treatment, his hair thick dark hair had become short and thin,
and he was literally looked as if he weight half as much as he used to.
However, he was on the road to recovery, and doctors believed that all that he
was finally cancer free. Although he didn't look like what I imagined him to
be, my cousin seemed to be fine. However, his condition soon began to change.
He wasn't able to stand long periods of times, became easily tired, and
couldn't hold down food. When he was taken to the oncologist, they found that
the cancer had spread out of his brain and into his back. They immediately
admitted him into the hospital, where I had to say good bye to him. Within a
month of my return, he went into a coma, and soon passed away. I began Relaying
in memory of him.
My junior year of high school, my aunt was diagnosed with
cancer. My aunt was a very strong woman. She lost her husband very early and
raised three children on her own in Pakistan. In a nation like Pakistan, this
was a major feat. In 2006, she immigrated to America with her children. When my
cousins got married, her job of raising her children was done, and she could
finally enjoy life with her grandchildren. However, a few months after the
birth of her first two grandchildren, she was diagnosed with Brain Cancer. They
operated and were able to rid of the tumor, but she was not the same. She grew
much weaker and became bedridden. She was unable to walk on her own and became
dependent on everyone. They had rid her of the cancer, but she was not the same
person. A year and a half later, they found the cancer had come back. Last
year, on March 16th, I lost my aunt to brain cancer. I Relay especially in
memory of her this year.
Upon entering College, I also found out my former AP US
History teacher, Rudolph Pekarek, was diagnosed with Cancer. Mr. Pekarek
challenged me, frustrated me, and sometimes even deprived me of precious hours
of sleep. But most importantly, Mr. Pekarek helped me realize that I should do
what I wanted with my life. Coming from a traditional South Asian background,
my parents had always wanted me to be a doctor. No matter how long the work
took, or how difficult, I was actually enjoying what I studied. Mr. Pekarek is
people I credit for helping me realize what I want to do in life. Luckily, Mr.
Pekarek is now Cancer free, and I Relay in honor of him.
These Relay for the people in my life who have been affected
by cancer, but they are not the only people I relay for. For the past six
years, I've met so many wonderful people who Relay for their own reason. My
Relaying began in my hometown of King George. Although we're a very small town,
King George has a lot of Relay spirit, and people of all parts of the community
participate in the event. What I found so inspiration was the energy that
people had and their dedication to Relay. Specifically, I remember our event
chair, Ursula Oesterwinter. When I first met her, I didn't expect this elderly
woman to be very animated. But as soon
as she began to speak, she was able to hype of the crowd and speak so
passionately about Relay. She is just one of the many people I got to Relay
with in King George and they are the people that influenced me to Relay in
college (and also be willing to wear a dress and high heels to fight cancer).
Relaying in College was a whole new experience. In King
George, I was one of a few youth really active in Relay. However, Relaying with
everyone being around the same age as me who were all just as passionate about
eradicating Cancer was something new. They all have their own stories. Some are
very open about it, while others keep it closed. For me, I didn't really feel
comfortable about talking about losing my aunt until a few weeks ago. Whether
it be for our parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, best friends, etc., we
all are passionate about fighting Cancer. So Why do I Relay?: I Relay for the
people I lost to Cancer, I relay for all the wonderful friends I've made on my
Relay Journey and their reasons to fight, and I Relay for the hope of living in
a cancer free world one day.
With Relaylove,
