Relaying Hope: Lisa's Journey
Hello, my name is Lisa Somers.
I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2017. I was 37 years old I underwent chemotherapy, surgery & radiation. It was a very scary time with lots of ups & downs but thankfully I am now in remission. Without the help & support from the Irish Cancer Society, it would have made my recovery more difficult. They are always doing more research & finding new targeted therapies to get more people in remission from this horrible disease.
Why I Relay
I heard about Relay For Life so in 2018, I registered as a Survivor. I registered again in 2019 did the Virtual Relay in 2020 & 2021 & registered again in 2022. In 2023 with my friends & family, we decided to put a team in Lizzies Lucky Charms to raise vital funds for the Irish Cancer Society. It was a huge success & a great feeling knowing that you are making a difference for everyone affected by Cancer.
This is a 24-hour event all survivors are treated as VIPs, we get a beautiful meal & lovely gifts in the survivors tent which is decorated so beautifully with entertainment in the tent also. It’s very emotional we are celebrating the survivors remembering those whom we have lost & thinking of the people who are still fighting. All survivors open the event by doing the first lap around the pitch wearing our purple t-shirts. The feeling you have is just overwhelming, I never experienced anything like it before from start to finish. The committee cannot do enough for you they are all so friendly & helpful the love & passion that each & every one of them has for this event is surreal. I would highly recommend any survivors to register & attend this event. Jennifer & Yvonne will be more than happy to hear from you.
At dusk, there is a beautiful candle of hope ceremony you walk along all the lit-up decorated candle bags of loved ones who have passed away and others who are on their journey with Cancer. This is quite emotional as you do silent laps around them.
This year we have a team in again we enjoyed it so much last year. Really looking forward to the 29th & 30th June Relay For Life 2024.
