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Standing up to cancer: Survivors speak about the benefits of annual relay
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
PLANO -- Shirley Moon knows a thing or two about surviving cancer, as well as what it is like to watch those without cancer suffer from the effects of the disease.
The Plano resident is a three-time cancer survivor, but has experienced tragedy as well as triumph since first being diagnosed and given only months to live at the age of 38. It is the experiences Moon has lived through that led her to the American Cancer Society, where she is responsible for reaching out to survivors for the April 27 Plano and Richardson Relay For Life event at John Paul II High School.
The annual event is one of the largest fundraisers for the American Cancer Society. Teams of cancer survivors, caregivers and other people walk for 12 hours to raise money for the cause they hold dear. Moon said the event is something everyone should attend or donate money to.
For the April event, Moon is rounding up supplies to make 200 gift bags which will be distributed to cancer survivors at a dinner prior to the relay. She said the bags, which will feature items donated from local businesses, will hopefully show cancer survivors that people care about them.
"I think this is so very important," Moon said. "It makes people aware that without the American Cancer Society, we will not beat this horrible disease."
Moon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986 and told she had three to six months to live, regardless of it she underwent chemotherapy. Moon chose to undergo the treatment, and went on with her life for the next six years until doctors determined the cancer had returned. Only this time, chemotherapy was not an option.
"They did surgery, but my chances of survival were again slim," she said. "My body no longer responded to chemotherapy, but I continued to fight for my life and got a lot of support from the American Cancer Society. I was in remission until late 2003 when during a routine exam, the doctors found a small spot on my lung."
Freshly diagnosed with lung cancer, Moon underwent successful surgery to remove all but one lobe of the cancerous lung. Then, several months after being diagnosed, tragedy struck again in the form of the suicide of her husband of more than 30 years.
"As a caregiver, he didn't have a lot of support," she said. "That is why I am trying to reach out to caregivers as well as survivors, because the job caregivers do can be as difficult as fighting cancer itself."
Moon is currently cancer free and said she considers it a miracle she is still alive, since she was given only a short time to live on more than one occasion.
Another Plano resident and cancer survivor is Tim Bradford, who survived throat cancer and has been free of the disease for more than a decade. While Tim and his wife, Sharon, gave to the American Cancer Society before he was diagnosed, their involvement has increased dramatically since that time.
Sharon is responsible for seeking corporate sponsors for the event, while the couple's two sons are both employees of the American Cancer Society. Working with the society allowed Tim to deal with some of the grief he felt after surviving his bout with cancer.
"Honestly, I feel guilty that I survived and so many other people did not," he said. "It uplifts me to see how many people are working to raise funds to help cure cancer. I now know that even if I had died, this kind of work would still be going on."
Tim was a non-smoker, so the diagnosis came completely by surprise. He said he was on a feeding tube for 11 months because his throat was completely closed down, during which time he lost 80 pounds and was never sure if he was going to survive. Other than having no salivary glands and occasionally having trouble swallowing foods, Tim is now completely healthy and said he is doing everything he can to help find a cure.
The Relay For Life runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to symbolize the fact that cancer never sleeps, Sharon said. She added that 33 percent of the money raised goes directly to cancer research, while the remainder stays in the local community to support those with cancer and to help provide for their needs; whether it be through transportation to treatment, lodging, wigs or providing information.
John Paul II is located at 900 Coit Road, at the intersection with Plano Parkway. For general information on the Plano and Richardson Relay For Life event, visit www.relayforlife.org and type in "Plano, Texas." To donate items to Moon's gift bags, email her at shirleymoon@ymail.com or call her at 972-900-9930. For information on corporate sponsorship opportunities, email Sharon Bradford at sharonbrad@swbell.net. The deadline for corporate sponsorships is March 25.
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