By
By TAMMY MALGESINI
Inside my shoes
Published on January 19, 2016 1:38PM
Cancer sucks.
Most of the time, my column is light-hearted. However, when it comes to cancer I have a tough time. Between 2011-2013, three people important to me were diagnosed with cancer — two of them have since died from the disease.
That’s why Relay for Life has become so personal for me. It’s not a faceless disease. It has taken my friends and afflicted my pops. Actually, I don’t think there are very many people out there that haven’t been touched by cancer in some way.
The premise behind Relay for Life is to 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 pursuit of a cure.
Hermiston Relay for Life is kicking off its 2016 event with a rally Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Hermiston Church of the Nazarene, 1520 W. Orchard Ave. The event will feature information tables — including how to start a team, fundraising ideas and general information about cancer. Also, food will be available for purchase and there will be a silent auction. There is no fee to register a Relay for Life team. The actual Relay for Life is June 25 at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds.
Lynn O’Halloran, one of my old college roommates was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2011. She died just over two years later. Lynn was a great friend — a Coke drinker, yet she always had Pepsi on hand when I visited.
She kept her sense of humor throughout her fight with cancer. Back in our college days, I had several friends by the name of Lynn. To keep them straight, my mom called her “long-haired Lynn.” My mom still referred to her with this moniker even after Lynn cut her hair. And, when she lost her hair from chemotherapy, Lynn suggested my mom could call her “no-hair Lynn.”
My pops was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2013. He had surgery the following January. While the waiting was the hardest part, the doctor said it was best to reduce the risk of infection after the biopsies. He continues to do well and is turning 78 this weekend.
Diagnosed with lung cancer in May 2012, Judy Hayes participated in the following month’s Hermiston Relay for Life for the first time. I was privileged to be able to walk with my friend during the opening lap.
At one point it looked like she had beat the cancer and some of the herd gathered to celebrate with Dairy Queen ice cream cake. We got a good laugh about the inscription on the cake, “Cancer sucks Judy.”
Judy died Dec. 15, 2015. During this year’s Relay for Life, I will walk in her memory.
For more information about Hermiston Relay for Life, contact Miranda Hunt at 541-720-0369, mlhunt06@gmail.com or visit www.relayforlife.org/hermistonor.
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Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.
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