Walking for a cure: ‘Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back’

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian

 

I’m rarely at a loss for words. However, last week while conducting a telephone interview with Lisa Lake for a precede article about Pendleton’s Relay for Life event, the connection between my brain and mouth shut down.
Oh, I could hear what she was saying — Lisa was talking about how important it is for people with cancer to have others around them.

“People who have cancer need support groups, they need people ... it’s important to connect,” she said.

Lisa’s daughter, Erin Gray, has stage IV cancer and lives in San Diego. Because of the distance, she can’t physically be there for her daughter all the time.

What Lisa was saying didn’t merely register into my brain to type the words on my computer. Her words lingered in my heart. I’ve been touched by cancer — I think most people have. Just last month, one of my friends was diagnosed with lung cancer. She’s a tough cookie and rarely asks for help. It’s been awesome to watch people jump in to provide support and tell her, “Hey, this is what I’m going to do.” It’s what the herd does.

During Umatilla’s recent graduation, I watched Joey Creamer, one of the class’s five valedictorians, receive his diploma. As I listened to him give his speech, I knew his mama would have been proud. Jo Jo, a former co-worker and one of my good friends, died from leukemia in 2004.

Last January, I wrote about Lynn, one of my old college roomies who was diagnosed with breast cancer. After aggressive treatment, she was doing well by late fall. However, a few months later a nagging pain in her shoulder was beyond the scope of physical therapy — her cancer had metastasized to the bone and is at stage IV. Her doctor said the most she can hope for is a couple of years. She remains upbeat and hopes for a miracle.

Lisa’s daughter, too, has stage IV cancer. Diagnosed with colon cancer, it metastasized to her liver and lungs. Initially she didn’t ask for a prognosis, figuring her situation was hopeless. Now, her message is loud and clear — follow-through with recommended medical screenings since prevention is one of the greatest tools in treating cancer.

Estimated figures provided by the American Cancer Society indicate 21,370 new cases of cancer will occur in the state of Oregon in 2012. That is a staggering number.

To put it in perspective, that would be like the entire populations of Hermiston, Echo, Stanfield and a fourth of Umatilla all diagnosed with some type of cancer.

Relay for Life raises money and cancer awareness. Its focus is “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” — celebrate those who have beaten cancer, remember those who have lost their lives to the disease and fight back by raising awareness and money for cancer research in hopes of a cure.

When Lisa stepped onto the the track at Sunridge Middle School this past weekend, it was the first time she participated in a Relay for Life event.

“This is what I know how to do. I know how to walk,” she said. “I wish I could be there with my daughter every day, but I can’t. But I can support someone here. I can support the greater good by supporting a walk.”

I know how to walk, too. And Friday night that’s exactly what I'll be doing during Hermiston's Relay for Life event at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds.

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Tammy Malgesini is the EO community editor. Her column, Inside my shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.