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Heroes of Hope

Elizabeth Martin

Breast Cancer Survivor

San Diego
Border Sierra Region

“I called the 800 number on the day I was diagnosed and the American Cancer Society has been a part of my life ever since.”

“I Relay,” she says, “to get the word out that cancer is here and it’s affecting everyone’s lives. We need funding for research, especially for minorities. There are too many health disparities out there and we need to know why. I Relay so that recently diagnosed cancer survivors can feel special the way I did on my first Relay. I Relay because it brings the community together!”

Heroes of Hope

LaVerna Edmonds

Breast Cancer and Leukemia Survivor

Torrance, CA

Los Angeles Region

“I fight back by talking to people and letting them know about all the good the American Cancer Society does!”

“I always thought I was a compassionate person,” declares LaVerna Edmonds. “But after having cancer, I think I have become more compassionate than ever! Having cancer has also brought our family a lot closer together. We don’t take each other for granted anymore.”

Diagnosed with breast cancer and a form of leukemia called “essential thrombocytosis,” LaVerna sought the support of her husband, children, grandchildren, and her “very special group of friends” to see her through this challenging time. She also took advantage of the American Cancer Society web site, http://www.cancer.org/ and joined a support group.

And then she found Relay For Life, or maybe it found her. “I became involved in the Torrance Relay because my grandson brought home a flyer from his school,” she recalls. “I had just finished my radiation treatments. My daughter asked me if I would like to join her and I said yes, without even knowing what Relay was about.”

Relay For Life soon became an important part of LaVerna’s life. Her most memorable experience, she says, “was when my husband, a prostate cancer survivor, and I did the Survivors Lap. When we came around the curve, we saw all of our family there, cheering us on.”

As a Hero of Hope, LaVerna fights back by sharing vital cancer prevention and early detection information and providing support and hope to those touched by cancer. Her goal is to see a cancer-free world, where her children and grandchildren never have to hear the words, “you have cancer.”