This past weekend, May 4th, UCI’s colleges against cancer held their annual Relay for Life in Aldrich Park.
What is Relay for Life?
Relay for Life is a 24-hour fundraiser walk that helps fundraise for the American cancer society in hopes to raise awareness and find a cure. Around 100 teams around campus and the Irvine community came together to camp around the circle with a representative from each team taking turns walking around Aldrich Park. This 24-hour walk represents the constant struggles that a cancer patient goes through day by day because “cancer never sleeps.” Throughout the day, different activities and student performances take place for the entertainment of those participating.
A Member’s Perspective: Vivian To and Tammy Do (TOtal DOmination)
Vivian To and Tammy Do, two members of UCI’s CAC, Colleges Against Cancer, worked all year alongside the other members of the club to plan this event. The duo also created a team for the relay. Their team name TOtal DOmination is a mixture of their last names and their matching capes represents their love for Teen Titans. This was Vivian’s seventh relay, she started in high school through an American Cancer Society club, and she continues to participate every year because of how this experience has opened her eyes and her heart. Her favorite part about this event is that it brings together a whole community under one cause. She enjoys learning about her friends and their stories because almost everyone out there has been affected by cancer. Her favorite event at relay is the Luminaria Ceremony, which is a candle light vigil at sunset that honors those who lost their lives, struggled with, and are still struggling with cancer. This was Tammy’s first relay but she has been volunteering at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in the oncology unit for the part four and a half years. She has worked with children battling cancer, and after seeing how cancer affects a child and their whole family, she decided to take action and be a part of the fight for a cure. This power team stayed up all 24-hours and they’re planning to participate in this event again next year.
A Cancer Patient’s Story: Dana Hill
Dana Hill is a third year cognitive science student at the University of California Irvine. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 16, and has been since battling cancer four years later today. She was first diagnosed when doctors felt a lump on her thyroids and had it checked out. They found 1 tumor in her neck, 8 in her thyroids and one in her sternum. When she was first diagnosed different thoughts were going through her head. She was most worried about whether or not this cancer would kill her. Her surgery to take out the tumors left a relatively noticeable scar on her neck in which she describes it as “not [being] a necklace”. Although the cancer has not gone away, she still takes medicine to control the cancer and she is optimistic about a cure. She lives day by day and enjoys singing and playing the guitar and piano. She has become an inspiration to many on YouTube with her 2400 subscribers. Her optimism and perseverance shows through her love of singing and continuing on to go to college even through her difficult times.
Here is a link to Dana’s youtube blog where you can see a video of her after her surgery or videos of her singing:
http://www.youtube.com/user/danedane101?feature=watch
After Surgery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFNExsG36dc