I don’t even know where to begin. The dreaded question, “Why
do you Relay?” is more loaded than most people realize. I can neither bear
simplifying my answer to just one family member, nor quantify the pain and fear
cancer causes. I will try my best at listing a handful of reasons why I have
spent my past four years at the University participating, fundraising, and
publicizing for Relay For Life.
When I was seven, my aunt Sue (my mom’s sister) was
diagnosed for the third time with cancer. She beat Hodgkins Lymphoma, Breast
Cancer, and was now facing Lung Cancer. Unfortunately, she was in Florida and
my parents were waiting for a school holiday or a better prognosis to visit
her. I remember the day I came home from
school and my mom was there at an unusual hour. “Your aunt went up to the
angels today”, she told us. It took a few minutes for that statement to register
with my 7-year-old self, but it was one I would never forget. Some people may
think that a child cannot understand pain and death, but I learned and felt its
immense sadness at an early age.
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| My sister and me at the bench dedicated to my Aunt Sue in Florida |
My mom’s other sister, Aunt Jean, fought Leukemia (which was
allegedly caught just a few days before it would have killed her). I can’t say
I remember her time at the hospital since I was pretty young, but I know she had
one of the toughest battles. I do remember helping her pick out wigs for her newly
bald head, helping her cope with the absence of her long auburn-colored hair.
Less than 10 years after my Aunt Susan passed away, it was
my mom’s turn to fight this awful terror. Learning from family experience, my
mom (Barb) was routine about getting check-ups, including mammograms. In June
2009, the doctors found a small tumor in her breast. She had surgery and
radiation that summer. My mother – a single, full-time mother working over 40
hours a week for the government and taking care of two demanding teenage
daughters – showed primary concern in others. Upon diagnosis, she immediately
emailed her friends and family and urged them to be tested routinely. Early detection saves lives. She is
truly my hero. In comparison to many
stories, my mom is lucky and we know it. But
I want to see a day when catching cancer early and beating it isn’t lucky, but
guaranteed.
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| Me and my wonderful mom |
The beginning of this school year, my mother’s cousin, “Aunt
Kathy”, lost her battle to esophageal cancer. She had already beaten breast
cancer, the case eerily similar to my mom’s. This year, I am relaying in honor
of her, my sports-loving, down to earth, never-missed-a-birthday, caring Aunt.
I wish the list could end with my mom’s side of the family,
but it does not. My smart, kind Grandma Dottie beat breast cancer gracefully several years ago. On the other dark side of the coin, Grandpa Milt lost a long
battle with pancreatic cancer during the fall of my second year at UVA. Seeing
the 6’4” patriarch of the Addison clan fall to this disease (which is one of
the most deadly) was terrifying.
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| Me and Grandpa Milt at my high school graduation party |
Saying goodbye to Grandpa Milt, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Sue, and
other loved ones does not get easier. I have been beyond grateful for the
support of my friends and family while going through these losses at school.
Now it is my turn to fight. I know the odds. My genetic
background is not in my favor. I’m told most things I consume are carcinogens.
I have had my share of radiation poisoning with dozens of X-Rays. I’ve heard
the survival rates. I know the likelihood for reoccurrence. Yes, things are
improving with the research of ACS and other organizations. But I can tell you
that I am damn scared about my future.
I relay for my entire family: those who have had cancer and
won, those who have tragically lost, and those who face imminent uncertainty. I
relay for my friends. I relay for my future. I relay for all of us.
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| Me in the Relay Morph Suit |
RelayLove,
