In Celebration of You

Imagine yourself today. Imagine where you see yourself a year in the future.

Now imagine having all of your goals, hopes and dreams compromised by something completely out of your control. Imagine hearing the words “You have cancer.”

About three years ago, my family received a call explaining that my cousin Will had experienced a seizure during his workday. Will was a young adult and had no previous medical condition that would explain this event. He was just the type of young professional I aspire to be in future years.

We eventually found out that doctors had discovered multiple malignant tumors in Will’s brain. My cousin Will was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that winter, altering his life and so many more in an instant.

I was always so impressed and inspired by Will. He spent six years living and working in Japan after college, proceeding to earn a JD and Masters of Law in International Law from Duke University and a subsequent Master’s of Law in Taxation from New York University. My family and I loved that he lived and worked in D.C., since all of our other extended family members maintained residence in cities further afield; Will was our special Washingtonian relative.

After his diagnosis, Will worked with some of the most advanced doctors at Johns Hopkins University and subsequently at UCLA. They did everything in their power to extend Will’s life as long as they possibly could. Will fought vigorously and without complaint, surrounded by support and prayers.

Will passed away in December of 2013, less than a year after his initial diagnosis.

I was 18 year old when Will died. I was 18 years old, and someone in my generation had passed away. It didn’t make logical sense. I couldn’t help but think that this could be me or one of my close friends in a decade or two, going through the exact same situation that Will so suddenly took on.

I Relay because after a situation in which I felt so helpless, I can have a serious impact on finding a cure for brain cancer in the future. There has been a 22% decrease in the cancer death rate in the last two decades, which translates to 1.5 million lives saved. Through Relay For Life at UVA, the American Cancer Society continuously funds new groundbreaking research that will continue to save lives.

The only thing I can think of that would be more difficult than experiencing such an abrupt and unfair loss as this is not doing anything to fix it. Although our family will always feel Will’s void, I can honor him by working towards a future without cancer. In the sea of crazy costumes and Vermonster Challenges, Concerts and 5Ks, Bar nights and Benefits, it’s easy to forget what Relay For Life if really about—making it possible for everyone to live our lives to the fullest.

I Relay in celebration of you, Will.

RelayLove,

Catherine Beall

Publicity Co-Chair

Thankful for the HOOlidays!

Today we are thankful for our amazing executive committee and their family and friends! Whether you are healthy or fighting an illness, or know someone who is, be thankful for today and another day to spend with the people you love. Happy Thanksgiving from the Relay For Life Executive Committee at UVA!

Be A Quitter This Thanksgiving

Hi everyone! It’s lung cancer awareness month! As you all head home for Thanksgiving, take a second to learn about another November holiday I bet you didn’t know too much about.

This past Thursday (November 19th) was the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke Out - a day dedicated to encouraging people to quit smoking. The day was started by Arthur P Mullaney in Randolph, Massachusetts in 1970. He asked people to give up smoking for a day and donate the money they saved to a local school’s scholarship fund. Since then, the idea has grown into a nationwide event celebrated with rallies, parades, and quitting information.

Did you know?

- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women and responsible for 28% of all cancer deaths in the US

- 1 in 5 US adults smoke cigarettes regularly.

- Compared to non-smokers, the risk of developing lung cancer is 23x higher in male smokers and 13x higher in female smokers.

- 1 in 3 cancer-related deaths is caused by smoking.

As you can see from these statistics, lung cancer is no joke. The good news is that quitting smoking does not have to be confined to just one day a year. The American Cancer Society offers a variety of resources to help people quit smoking including a guide to quitting and phone and web based support. Visit www.cancer.org to learn more!

P.S. Thanksgiving is a great time to ask family members you don’t normally see for Relay donations. Everyone is in the giving spirit and will be more than willing to support your cause! Good luck and happy thanksgiving!

RelayLOVE, 

Marisa

More Memories

Relay for Life has been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have years worth of memories of going to the event in Winchester with my mom, dad, brother, and sister. Initially, in remembrance and celebration of my grandfather, and - as the years went by - for so many other family members and friends that have been impacted by this terrible disease.

My "Grand Jerry" was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer and lost his battle on April 25, 2003. Although his year-long battle was relatively short, the Grand Jerry with cancer was no different than the one I knew before. Shortly after his diagnosis, my parents told my siblings and me that he was very very sick, but I never fully grasped how ruthless and awful cancer was because he never let it dull his spirit. However, the day I heard my parents tell us that we could no longer sit on Grand Jerry's lap because he had become so weak was the first time it truly hit me what this disease was actually doing.

The winter before he passed away, we got a huge snowfall that had us out of school for an entire week. I will never forget sledding at his house that week. Despite being at one of the toughest points in his battle, he stayed outside with my brother and me for hours, hauling us back up the hill in his John Deere gator after every thrilling ride down the hill in his backyard. (Part of the reason why I dislike sledding to this day because I never understood why people would want to go down the hill just to have to walk back up it?)

My Grand Jerry was one of my favorite people to spend time with as a child, and the nickname given to him was no coincidence. He left my siblings, cousins and I with so many wonderful memories - homemade milkshakes at his house, day trips to Jammin' Gym, and rides on his "gator" around the yard. He made these lasting memories with us so that cancer would not win. To this day, I still cherish the limited, but grand memories I was able to make with him. Although it may seem he eventually lost his battle, in my mind he truly won it in by the way he made an impact on our family.

I Relay so that time with loved ones is not cut short by this terrible disease. I believe that we have the potential to see a cure for cancer in my lifetime, and so by Relaying I hope to do my part in making this a reality. I also Relay in loving memory of my Uncle Bob, in celebration of my Grandma, and for the many other people in my life who have been impacted by this disease.

My grandfather was truly an amazing man and is the primary reason why I Relay. I Relay so that time with friends and family is not cut short by cancer. I Relay for more birthdays, more holidays, and all-in-all more memories together with the ones we love.

With RelayLove,

Emily Smith

Publicity Committee

Sunday Shoutout: Maria Mencini

Hey Relay friends/family! Take a hot sec to check out this week's amazing shoutout: Maria! And just in time for the Trifecta challenge! Be sure to check out her Relay page for more information or to make a donation and to look at this for more information on the challenge (after all, HOO doesn't love beating the Hokies and Dukes in some friendly competition?!) 

Name: Maria Mencini

Hometown: Ashburn, VA

Year/Major: 4th Year, Commerce

Position on Relay: Team Recruitment Co-Chair

Why I Relay: For Scott Vivian, my best friend's dad,and so no one has to have a wonderful life cut short by cancer.

Why I’m Excited For Relay: I love seeing everyone come together and have an awesome experience at the main event in April. This year we really want to get as many people there as possible! On that note, this Monday through Wednesday we are doing a "Trifecta" recruitment challenge with JMU and Tech to see who can get the most new people registered - so sign up this week and help us win!!

Did you know: I studied abroad at Oxford 

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: Strawberry

Mission Monday...No-Shave November

Hello Relay friends! Happy Monday! It's officially November which means I mustache you a question. How much do you know about No-Shave November? Many of us have heard of the phenomenon before and perhaps a few of you guys have participated before.

  

It all begin in 2009 with a small town in Illinois and the Hill family. After having lost their father to colon cancer in 2007, they decided to find a creative way to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The original mindset was to create a celebration of hair. Many cancer patients lose their hair as a result of chemotherapy, so the family decided that instead of shaving or cutting their hair, they would let it go and donate the money saved from razors or hair appointments to a cancer organization. The first few years, it was tremendously successful which inspired the family to continue the growth. They launched the online campaign and began pairing with major cancer fundraising organizations, like the American Cancer Society. 

Now, millions of people sign up to take part every year. While fundraising and donations are still a major goal of the organization, they also have also expanded the focus to include a discussion as to why people are suddenly embracing the mustaches and beards.  And this is when the discussion of cancer can really take off. It's about spreading the word about ways to prevent cancer. About new treatments that have been discover. About current break through research. And most importantly, about how we have all been personally affected by it - a way to create a support system within an entire community. Although it primarily focuses on men's health and testicular cancer, it donates proceeds to organizations including St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and American Cancer Society (to which they have donated over $1.4 million!)

So as the Hill family says, "We believe that together, anything is possible, and we'll get closer to eradicating cancer one whisker at a time!" So be brave, be bold, be hairy - and ask someone about their mustache! 

Happy No-Shave November!

RelayLOVE, 

Maria 

We Are Not Helpless

What happens when the strongest person you know suddenly gets hurt? What if there’s nothing you can do…no bully to yell at, no Band-Aid to stick on?  What if you suddenly have to become your rock’s rock?

Many people will tell you that I am obsessed with my mom.  Not even just my best friends...I’m pretty sure that anyone who has spent more than three hours with me could tell you that I love my mom more than any living or nonliving thing on this world.  Our relationship has long transcended the mother-daughter border and carefully made its way into best friendship.  This story, however, goes back to a time when she was more my mom in the traditional sense. Mom with a capital M.  Invincible, strong, untouchable. Or so I thought.

It all started on a day which was disguised by the regularity of 7th grade life in suburbia.  I was fully immersed in a world of the cool girl lunch table, middle school crushes with long hair and skater shoes, the advance dance company, my nerdy-but-awesome magnet school, and my beloved summer swim team.  My mom, the strongest and most constant presence in my life, sat me down to tell me that she had been diagnosed with a particularly invasive case of a rare gynecological cancer.  Everything changed.  I was suddenly forced to realize that my mom was not only mom with a capital M, but was a human being who could be threatened by the same forces as anyone else.  My mom, the glue that held my family, my life, and my world together, suddenly needed us to do the same for her.  

The worst part of my mom’s cancer was the fear that came with it.  Only several hundred cases of her type of cancer have been recorded in the world, and we could not find a doctor within driving distance who had treated it before.  My mom’s treatment plan became a two-fold journey of trying to get her better as doctors tried to learn more about the disease along the way.  The only thing they seemed to be sure of was the high likeliness of spreading and recurrence.  It was finally decided that the best way to treat my mom’s case was to surgically remove it...something that sounds not-so-fun and is even less fun than it sounds.  My mom underwent invasive surgery and a difficult recovery process.  My dad, my little sister, and I did what we could to help her feel happy and comfortable as she made her way back to health.  

Though it was a while ago, I still very much remember the strong waves of helplessness that came over me each time we brought my mom to a test, biopsy, or check-up.  I am a person who likes to be in control, and this inability to control the hurt that was affecting my mom, the best human in the world, was completely infuriating.  The world wanted me to go on with life - with the lunch table, with the boys, and the dancing, and the school work, and the swimming - while the person I looked up to most was suffering with something I could not fix.

After a more recent bout with Melanoma, my mom is now officially cancer-free.  And yet, as I have grown-up and more of these untouchable, invincible rocks in my life have been affected by cancer, this feeling of helplessness remains.  What could I do about my neighbor (but more like family member) Mrs. Judy being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer?  What could I say to my best friend as she laid teary-eyed in my bed explaining that her mom’s doctor had found a lump?

This helplessness is why I Relay.  Because you know what?  We aren’t helpless.  Relay For Life gives us a beautiful and effective way to bond with survivors, patients, and caregivers as we take steps each day toward finding a cure.  It gives us an opportunity to use the resources and networks we have to put money in the right hands and to make a real difference.  We, regular human beings - not doctors or researchers or experts, have the ability to be the catalysts for programs that research rare cancers like my mom’s and find a cure.  We have the ability to help people with cancer all over the world get support through programs such as the Hope Lodge which houses people undergoing treatment far from home, Road to Recovery which drives patients to treatments, Look Good...Feel Better which provides wigs for patients going through chemotherapy, and Reach to Recovery which helps patients seek support from survivors.  

   

What happens when the strongest person you know suddenly gets hurt?  You recognize the problem, and you fight back. In 2015, 1,658,370 new cases will be diagnosed in the US, and 589,430 people will die from cancer.

 

 It keeps happening, and I won’t stand for it. 

 I won’t sit down and let it happen.

 I refuse.

 I will fight back.   

With RelayLOVE,

Katelyn Saks

Mission & Outreach Committee

Spotlight Sunday: Xing Zhang

Hope everyone had a wonderful and ~spooky~ Halloween! And now it is another Sunday which means times to start all the work I should have done all weekend and told myself I wouldn't procrastinate on, yet I have found another date with Java Java and Organic Chemistry. 

However - my day has been brightened by my favorite Spotlight Sunday! Meet Xing, a 2nd year student on the team recruitment committee. Xing recently planned and conducted a bake sale which raised almost $500! What better way to fight cancer than with amazing baked goods? She's also now one of our top ranked fundraisers! So proud of you! Show your support by wishing her congrats & checking out her fundraising page here!

Name: Xing Zhang

Year: Second Year

Home Town: Warrenton, Virginia 

Why I Relay: When I first joined Relay for Life in high school, it was because of my grandma, whom passed away from cancer when I was younger. After my first event, after my first luminary ceremony, I relayed not only for my grandma, but for everyone I met and have yet to meet whom are affected by cancer. 

Why I’m Excited For Relay: My goal this year is to be a 12 hour walker and walk a marathon during the event. Since cancer never sleeps, we won't either :) 

Did you know: When I was in kindergarten, I fractured my arm from falling off of a refrigerator. 

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: All ice cream were created equal. I cannot state a single favorite flavor simply because it would be unfair to all the flavors that I also love oh so dearly. 

Fighting for a Fighter

On September 30th, 2006, I jumped out of bed, overflowing with joy, for my older brother’s bar mitzvah would take place that day. It would be a full day of togetherness with family and friends, and a really fun party later that night.

At that point in time, my mom had been fighting breast cancer for over 3 years. The cancer had metastasized to several parts of her body over the course of her battle. Even at the age of 11, I was aware that her sickness was not to be taken lightly.

What I didn’t know at the time was that Mom’s disease had reached its final stage by the time Jake’s bar mitzvah came around. What I didn’t know at the time was that Mom would pass away just six weeks later.

Aside from my young age, there was a very important reason behind my not realizing the late stage of Mom’s cancer on Jake’s bar mitzvah day. 

I vividly remember Mom on this day. I remember how she could not stop beaming with pride, not even for a second, at my brother during the 3-hour prayer services. I remember her excitedly mingling with every single guest (we had a LOT of guests) during the post-services brunch, and wanting to genuinely catch up with each and every one of them. I remember all of my friends and my brother’s friends running up to Mom and her giving them all her famous hugs, because Mom was so warm and made all of our friends feel like her own children. I remember how Mom danced the whole night at the party…I do not think she sat down for even 10 seconds.

This one bar mitzvah day is just a glimpse into the sunshine that Jill Albert was. She never let the physical or emotional affects of cancer keep her from shining with the greatest radiance and the most contagious smile. She never let the anger or sorrow that many cancer patients regularly feel keep her from having only the kindest of hearts. She never let her preoccupations with doctor appointments, chemotherapy, pills, and countless other treatment related responsibilities keep her from being as involved as she could be in her kids’ childhoods and her community.

As I get older, and the years pass, I miss Mom so much. But I also become increasingly in awe of her. I realize more and more every day just how much of a fighter this woman was during such a painful, steeply uphill battle. Even though cancer took her life, I don’t think cancer actually won. I think Mom’s liveliness in the midst of dying reflects a true victory.

I Relay because Mom was a fighter and to honor her memory, I must fight in any way I can. I can easily picture her running every Relay For Life 5K, leading a team in the Relay For Life flag football tournament, enthusiastically pulling that all-nighter at the big Relay For Life event in April. She’d be doing it all, without a doubt. So I do it for her.

RelayLOVE,

Jamie Albert

Fundraising Committee

Mission Monday: Look Good...Feel Better

      One of the most devastating effects of cancer can be something outside of the physical tole the chemotherapy, radiation, and other treatments - people watch their body begin to change without their control. They may undergo hair loss or a mastectomy. Learning to adjust and become comfortable and confident with these new changes can be a challenge for many men and women. 

I remember working with a veterinarian the summer between my first and second year of colleges who was facing breast cancer for the second time. She made the decision to have a mastectomy because she knew it was the best way to combat the disease - but this did not make the decision any easier. She is one of the most confident and strong women I have met - and watching her struggle not only to make the decision but how to cope afterwards broke my heart. But she, like many other men and women, are incredibly strong and have an amazing support system through programs like Look Good...Feel Better. 

Look Good...Feel Better was established in 1989 by the Personal Care Products Council with the goal of teaching men and women how to use make-up, wigs, nail polish, and other beauty products to build up their confidence following any cancer treatments.  The organization trains hairstylists, wig experts, estheticians ("a person who is knowledgeable about the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art" for those of you like me who had know idea what that meant), make up artists, and other cosmetology professors and makes them readily available to cancer patients in salons. So basically a beauty salon? How cool is that?  

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words so does that make a video worth 10,000? I'd say so.  To understand the full grasp and importance of this program check out this video about Brenda. She's 51 years old, so roughly the same age as most our parents, and facing bilateral breast cancer.  Such a simple thing like make-up and a wig can make such a difference. For you girls out there, think about how fun it was to dress up for prom (or prah-em as my high school called it)?! 

That's the important message behind this and all of the American Cancer Society's programs - these are real programs affecting real people. While Relay and ACS are national programs that are run by thousands of people, the goal is to benefit individuals - people's moms, dads, sisters, brothers, children. And to show them that they are heard, supported, and loved by an incredible number of people. 

With RelayLOVE,

Maria Wnorowski

Spotlight Saturday: Anna and Patrick

Hey Relay friends! As many of you (hopefully) know, we had our Fight Cancer 5k last week which was a HUGE success.  We decided to spotlight Anna Cooper and Patrick Salas who were both the girl and guy winners of the race and completely killed it! So first off meet Anna Cooper, who is a member of the Publicity Committee and actually just ran the Charlottesville half-marathon (and placed second #casual). Then meet Patrick who was actually visiting his sister at UVA and decided to take part in the 5k! 




Name: Anna Cooper

Year: 2nd

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, VA

Major: Pre-Comm

Why you Relay: Because fighting cancer requires more than just medical treatment. I want to live in a world where the word “cancer” doesn’t exist. 

Why you are most excited for Relay: Who doesn’t love a night filled with friends and free food?! The photo booth and the acapella performances were definitely a highlight last year. 

Did you know:  I went skydiving for my 18th birthday! 

Favorite ice cream: White chocolate peanut butter! 

           

Name: Patrick Salas

Year: Junior (at Trinity Preparatory School)

Hometown: Winter Park, Texas

Did you know:  He's on the school's 
state champion cross country team!

Through the Daily Fight

I participated in my first Relay For Life event when I was in the 6th grade. Growing up, my youth group always participated in Relay For Life events so when the spring of 6th grade rolled around, I was beyond excited to have the chance to stay up all night long! The theme for this event was “Through the Decades” so naturally dressing up was a must. As if the psychedelic 80's outfit itself wasn’t enough, I made sure that bright pink blush and blue eye shadow were a part of the finished look—not one of my better fashion forward moments…

While this was an incredibly memorable and enjoyable time, looking back, I really had no idea what impact Relay For Life events had on cancer patients, survivors, or even my own life.  I had known neighbors, family friends, and acquaintances that had been affected by cancer, but the disease had yet to affect me on a truly personal level.

All of that changed the summer before my senior year of high school. On my family’s annual beach trip, we noticed a significant decline in my grandpa’s appetite level along with complaints of stomach pain. Shortly after he returned home, GrandJack was seen by a doctor and received his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. It was heart breaking. I couldn't fathom what was happening. 

That summer was a whirlwind. My family spent many hours driving back and forth from our house in Roanoke to my grandparent’s house in Newport News. Although my grandpa began chemotherapy treatment, the cancer continued to invade. Each time we arrived at my grandparents’ house, GrandJack's state was progressively worse. It was so saddening to see the complete transformation of someone who was once so lively become so debilitated. After weeks of treatment without success, my grandpa eventually made the decision to discontinue his treatment as the pancreatic cancer became even more invasive and the chemo was no longer helping.

My grandpa was the ultimate people person; making anyone and everyone feel adored and appreciated. Even during his worst days, as the cancer took over, he never failed to complement me or tell me how much he appreciated all that I was doing for him. Maya Angelou’s quote sums my grandpa up perfectly when she said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That truly was my grandpa; he always made you feel incredibly special. 

On September 16th, 2013, GrandJack, after a tremendous fight, passed away. To lose him was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced before and he is, with no doubt, thoroughly missed. Today, I Relay for GrandJack who kept hope and fought till the end.

I also relay for my Aunt Jane who was diagnosed with large cell neuroendocrine cervical cancer this past July. This diagnosis was particularly hard to comprehend due to her good health and young age. What’s more is that it felt like we had just grieved the loss of my grandpa so recently. This specific cancer is extremely rare with less than 100 women being diagnosed a year.

My Aunt Jane’s fight thus far has been steady but exhausting. The cancer is aggressive so therefore the treatment she is undergoing is aggressive. My aunt takes this new segment of her life day by day, as they each come with their own challenges. Despite the setbacks during her road to recovery thus far, her positive attitude and outlook on this journey are inspiring. Her updates on Facebook include notes on how to rock a scarf daily, the reason why Panera should sell a teal ribbon bagel in addition to their October pink ribbon bagel selection, and her attempts to find a slogan as catchy as “Save the Tatas” for cervical cancer. I, along with her many other supporters, wear my “Join Jane’s Fight” bracelet as a reminder of her battle with cancer everyday.

The bottom line is that Relay For Life’s mission is so important for you, for me and for everyone, because cancer affects all of us. I’ve come a long way in understanding the importance of what this organization does since my 6th grade year and I could not be more honored to be a part of a movement that hopes to see a cancer-free world one day.

But until then, I will continue to relay—for those who have lost their battle, the survivors, and those who are currently fighting.

[In loving memory of my grandpa and in honor of my Aunt Jane and her current fight].

RelayLOVE,

Kirby Evett

Fundraising Committee