Fighting cancer, one patient at a time

The CANSA Newcastle RFL committee is excited to celebrate the lives of all cancer survivors and share hope at RFL 2015, on October 10 and 11 at Ferrum High School.

October 9, 2015

Bruce Douglas 1 minute read

CANSA is passionate about creating more birthdays.

This Saturday, at the Newcastle Relay for Life (RFL), screenings and vitals checks will be offered free of charge, as the community rallies against cancer.

Staff partner, Estella Naicker elaborated.

“When a person is confronted with a cancer diagnosis, usually for the first time, death becomes very real.”

At this time, she added, each moment becomes precious, and people come to realise what is truly important to them.

Hope means something different for each person.

“For a loving father, it’s living to see his children graduate; for a single mother, it’s knowing even though her 17-year-old son has had a leg amputated, he may still aspire for greatness. For a mother who lost her son to leukaemia, it’s about ensuring her son’s memory lives on, by making a difference in the lives of others.”

The CANSA Newcastle RFL committee is excited to celebrate the lives of all cancer survivors and share hope at RFL 2015, on October 10 and 11 at Ferrum High School.

The formal even begins at 6pm and ends at 6am the following morning.

This time is symbolic of what a cancer patient goes through when diagnosed – midnight represents halfway through the cancer journey, when patients and caregivers feel as though they have had enough, but must persevere like the relayers will.

“We end at 6am, sunrise, on a note of hope.”

During the RFL, teams which enter make banners to carry around the track, ensuring at least one member of the team is on the track at all times.

The aim of the relay is threefold.

First is to celebrate the lives of survivors, second is to remember those who have lost the battle, and finally to fight back against the dreadful disease, with each step taken bringing us closer to a cancer-free world.