This is the fifth in a series of personal stories on “Why I Relay” from people whose lives have been touched by cancer. These will run up until the 2009 Rowan County Relay for Life fundraiser on Friday and Saturday.

Johnny Shook of Alleghany Drive wrote:
In July of 1998, I was assistant pro at McCanless Golf Club.
It was a Sunday and I didn’t feel good, but I loved my job, so I was there. That afternoon, coworkers Bob and Jake told me to go home. They could tell that I wasn’t well.
When I got home, I told my wife, Lois, that maybe I needed to go to Pro-Med. She knew I was sick because I didn’t ever go to the doctor.
I went from there to the hospital and by the end of the week, we were informed that I had cancer. At the time, my type of cancer ó mantle cell lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s ó was rare.
They told me that I had six months to a year to live possibly or we could try a new drug. It WORKED.
Four-and-a-half years later, the cancer returned, and I had a stem-cell transplant that is working at this time.
That is why Relay For Life means so much to me. Because of research, I am still here getting on your nerves.
My wife, Lois, has been there through all of this, and I couldn’t have done it without her. So thank you, Honey. I love you.
Also, thanks to all my friends at Relay For Life, my church family at Neel Road Baptist, McCanless Golf Club and Carolina Golf Mart for all the prayers and support during all of this.
But most of all, I thank God for my healing.
Philippians 4:13 ó “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (KJV)
Barbara Jones of Rockwell wrote:
I Relay for selfish reasons. I hope the work that we as a team do will find a cure for all cancers so that one day no one has to fight this disease.
In my family alone, we have had skin cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, brain cancer, melanoma and breast cancer. We have lost some family members to this vicious disease and some of us are survivors.
Our youngest member of the family is at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital now, fighting glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer. He is only 3 months old.
It’s indescribable the feelings that you go through when a doctor tells you, “It’s cancer.” I had three teenagers at the time I was told that I had cancer. All I could think of was, “Who would help take care of them?”
I thank God for the family, friends and neighbors who were there when I needed them most. They were very giving and supportive during that trying time.
Often I wonder what God has planned for me. But either way, I’m going to do whatever it takes to be the best example of a fighter of this cause.
Once again, God put a friend there when I needed a push. She said, “Hey, aren’t you a survivor?” when my daughter and I ran into her at the mall.
She was working with Relay for Life trying to get teams to come on board. She asked if we would form a team and give it a try. I said I would talk to my sister and brother.
Now we are known as “The Chuckwagon Gang” and are the founders, designers and operators of Uncle Raymond’s Field Maze. It’s named after an uncle who died from lung cancer.
I don’t like making a big deal out of the cancer I had because I am one of the lucky ones. I don’t understand why God spared me or what I’m supposed to be doing yet.
But when it comes by me, I hope I will recognize it and do what He expects me to do.
God bless all of you who give time to this cause even though it takes a lot of work and time away from your families.
As a survivor, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless each team, team member and everyone who is involved with Relay.
And please, if you’re on vacation or happen to be where there is a Relay event, drop in and check it out. Each one is different.
We have gone to several others. We try to go as a team. We have had a ball and at the same time, learned something.
Cancer is a worldwide vicious disease. It affects new lives and old and all those in-between.
Beth Veach of Sam Euart Road, Rockwell, wrote:
Why do I Relay? That is a very thought-provoking question.
Let me start off by saying that when you are told that you or someone you love has cancer, it knocks you off your feet and you feel like you are in a very bad nightmare.
My nightmare started in February 2001. I went in for a very routine surgery that was expected to take up to two hours and require me to be out of work for three days.
It turned into nine hours of surgery and four months out of work. The squamous cell carcinoma that I had was a complete surprise.
When I was told that I had cancer, my first thought was about my children, Taylor and Will, and what I was going to do with and for them so that they would remember me when I was gone.
Thank God, I am now celebrating eight years of being cancer-free! I have had the blessing and opportunity to be with my children and watch them turn into the young adults that they are today.
I would not have made it through the recovery and treatments without the love and support of my family, friends, sorority sisters and co-workers.
My husband, Billy, my children, Taylor and Will, my parents, Pat and Richard, my sister’s family, Terri, Jeff and Jessica and my brothers and their families Allen, Wendy and Allie, Skip and Wendy, were very supportive of me when I was going through the treatments and now as I continue with the checkups and follow-ups.
After my recovery, we lost my mother-in-law, Mary Veach. She was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in January 1999. Her battle with cancer was lost on July 4, 2004.
Hers was a very long and brave battle with many struggles. She was a strong and courageous woman to the very end and is missed by all who knew and loved her.
Then in 2005, we found out that my dad, Richard Livengood, had colon cancer. And to make things worse, it had spread to his liver.
Wow, what a blow to our family. Here was this strong and wonderful man that had been the best dad a person could dream of having, and we were going to lose him way before we should ever have to.
About two months after my dad’s diagnosis, we were told that my brother-in-law, Jeff Honeycutt, also had colon cancer. Jeff is now celebrating four years of being cancer-free.
We lost Dad on June 3, 2007. What a void his death has left in our lives.
I believe that our family has been through a lot, and we need to fight back. You think that this cannot happen to you, but it does.
There are many other family members and friends that I am not naming for fear that I may accidentally omit someone, but cancer is all around us. For those who I have not named, let me just say that you are in my thoughts as I am writing this.
Now back to the question, why do I Relay? I Relay so that one day there will not be the fear, dread and loss that is associated with the words, “You have cancer.”
Those are the three words that I wish no one ever had to hear. As my dad was taking treatments, a new chemotherapy drug, Avastin, came on the market.
When asked by his doctor if he was willing to try anything new, his reply was always, “Sure, you can do whatever you want to do. Even if it does not help me, it may help someone else one day.”
Due to the money raised by the Relays, we are able to help with the research for new drugs, help patients get to appointments and even help with finances. Before I became involved in Relay, I did not know there was so much support available in my own community. I want everyone to know what is available to them.
Everyone should come to at least one Relay. There is so much to see and do that night.
When you come, you should come hungry, spend money, witness heart-touching moments and leave a changed person. My reason to Relay is to get everyone I know involved so that we can find a cure.
Cancer knows no age, race or religion. It does not discriminate, and we need to band together to fight this as one.
With everyone’s help, we might could raise the one more dollar needed to help pay for someone’s mammogram, help pay for someone’s treatments, help pay for someone’s bills while they are taking treatments or even fund the research that will help find the cure.
These are just the beginning of the reasons that I Relay.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.