I relay so nobody else has to hear the words “you have cancer” because I personally know just how devastating those words are. Cancer is a ruthless disease and battling it has forever changed my life. It has caused me a lot of pain, a lot of loss, and a lot of grief. Accepting how much my life had changed was especially hard. But I’ve learned a lot from it, too. Cancer created a distinct dichotomy in my mind between reason and purpose. Something might not have a reason— my fight with cancer has no explanation— but it can still have a purpose. I remember how helpless I felt when I was sick and how holding onto hope can seem impossible. Looking back on that is when I realized I could share my story on behalf of every person who has those same feelings, and that’s when I found relay. So, I relay for more than just eradicating cancer; I relay to support and uplift survivors like me. I relay to provide strength for those who don’t have any more strength left to give. I relay to inspire hope, because “once you choose hope, anything is possible.”
