Thirteen years ago, Joyce Clapham discovered Relay for Life as the child of a mother who lost her battle to brain cancer. This year, she will walk as a five-year cancer survivor.A sophomore in high school when her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer and given six months to live, Clapham said the diagnosis was ìdevastating.îìIt was not an easy situation,î said Clapham, who became her motherís caretaker. Her mother fought brain cancer for 10 years before she lost her battle, Clapham said.To help ease her grief, a friend invited Clapham to participate in Relay for Life in honor of her motherís memory.The luminaria ceremony, in which handdecorated paper bags are placed around the Relay track and illuminated with candles to honor loved ones whose lives were claimed by cancer or those who are battling the disease, was the most healing for Clapham.ìWith luminaria, you have that release, that moment to remember,î she said. ìThat was my time to be alone. I sobbed. But over the years, Iíve found solace in it.îIn October 2010, Clapham was diagnosed with basal-cell carcinoma after she sought treatment for a growth she mistook for a pimple on the right side of her nose.ìIt was a bit of a shock when the dermatologist said it was cancer. I thought, ëAs cautious as I am?í Iím always wearing sunscreen,î Clapham said.By the time doctors could remove the cancer six months later, the tumor had spread to the entire right side of her nose and part of her cheekìI thought I would be going in for a simple procedure,î Clapham said. ìWhen I got to see myself for the first time I freaked out, more for my son, because he had to see me that way. I just remember thinking I looked like a creature from Star Wars.îClapham underwent six laser surgeries to remove the cancer. Doctors performed a skin graft, using a 1-inch piece of skin from her forehead and transferring it to her nose. While she recovered, Claphamís husband, Lloyd, and her son, John, were her caretakers.Clapham has been cancer-free for five years.The experience strengthened her passion for Relay, as well as her admiration both for cancer survivors and their caregivers.ìIím still fully involved in Relay, and I share my story as much as I can, especially to the youth who love the sun,î said Clapham, a Relay for Life team leader and American Cancer Society event coordinator.ìI had a friend tell me that because of my story she went and got a mole on her face checked. That was reassuring. What I went through was not easy but knowing Iím making a difference for others and bringing awareness means a lot to me. I didnít feel like a (cancer) survivor because I didnít go through chemotherapy or radiation, and I had to learn that thereís different levels of being a survivor. It taught me not to be scared and to ask for help.îBecause of her courage, Clapham was nominated in 2015 as a Hero of Hope.ìRelay is a place that, no matter how long youíre on the track, thereís someone to talk to and share your stories with,î Clapham said. ìFor me, itís my way of holding on to my mom, and I donít want my … grandchildren … to go through what my son went through and what I went through. I want to find an end to this terrible disease. Each year, cancer deaths decrease, and we are making a difference; but there is still a long way to go.îRelay for Life schedule:Leadership meetings will be held July 6 and Aug. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at JAKs Brewing Co., 7654 McLaughlin Road in Falcon.The annual golf tournament will be held Friday, July 29, at Antler Creek Golf Club, 9650 Antler Creek Drive in Falcon, with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.The annual Relay for Life event will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, from noon to midnight at Falcon High School, 10255 Lambert Road in Peyton. For more information, visit http://relayforgive.org/falconpeyton.
