I grew up never knowing a world without cancer, but I also grew up never knowing a world without the American Cancer Society. My mom, Kelly, began volunteering at our local Relay For Life in 1996 when both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer less than 2 weeks apart from each other. When her parents were diagnosed, they were not supposed to live more than a year, much less long enough to meet me, their granddaughter, who would not be born until 1998. Unfortunately, my grandfather lost his battle before I was born, but my grandma did not. Thanks to two drug trials funded by the American Cancer Society for Tamoxifen and Herceptin, chemotherapy drugs that are now crucial to the treatment of many breast cancers, I got to do more than just meet my grandma. I got seven precious years with her and lifelong memories that cancer will never be able to take away from me. I Relay for hope and I Relay so one day someone's granddaughter will get more than just 7 years.
