This was what my mother-in-law was told would be the chance of survival for her young son. At only 1 year old, my husband was diagnosed with leukemia. Chemo was new at this point and the survival rates weren't good. 5 percent.
Through the miracle of God's grace, healing and wisdom to physicians, I now have a healthy husband who has been cancer free for over 20 years. Unfortunately, cancer is something that we all know continues to ravage families & homes every day. This is where Relay for Life comes in to play.
The Relay for Life an amazing fundraiser hosted by the American Cancer Society. It brings together volunteers from all over the country into their own community to raise money for this much needed cause, in hopes of putting an end to cancer. It is a time to Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back.
I was so honored that I was asked to volunteer my time yesterday to photograph the Relay for Life in Hamilton, Ohio. It was a moving experience which for me consisted of Celebrating the life of my cancer-free husband, and Remembering the life of my Grandfather who lost his battle with cancer 8 years ago. Two of the most important men in my life have been forever touched by the hand of cancer, and I stand with these other strong men & women to fight back.
It was a beautiful sunny (HOT) day!
The Relay was hosted at Hamilton High School's beautiful football field
The first lap was the "Survivor Lap".... All of the men, women and children who had battled and won against cancer took the initial lap around the track. This was SO moving.... As you look through these photos, look into the eyes of these beautiful people. Fighters. I, of course, was choked up basically the entire day. The next 4 photos were from that lap:
The was LOTS of walking through the day, of course! :)
The day was also full of fun & excitement! Games for the kids, fundraisers & raffles surrounded the track. Everyone had a great time while supporting a great cause!
The Relay began at 3:00pm and continued until the following morning at 9am. When nightfall came, the luminaries were lit around the track. Each luminary was either to remember a loved one whose life was lost or to honor a survivor.
PLEASE take a few minutes to check out Relay for Life's website by clicking HERE
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1 comment:
Thank you for posting these photos and for telling your story. I'm a cancer survivor and I've been involved with Relay for many years. I was actually the first chairperson in Hamilton. Eventually, I would like to put together a slideshow timeline through the years of Hamilton's Relay. If you would like to share your pictures, please contact me via email.
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