Relay for Life brings hope to cancer survivors

Jun. 17—Those who attend Pulaski County's annual Relay for Life event know to expect equal parts celebration, fun and emotional determination towards the goal of finding a cure for cancer. And Friday was no exception.

Relay for Life 2023 took place at the Center for Rural Development, and while it may have been pared down from the all nighters that took place in years past — this year's even ran till 2 a.m. — there was still plenty of celebration and emotion to be had.

That was evident from the very first lap, as cancer survivor Jacinda Eldridge carried the lantern for a silent lap in remembrance of those who have passed away from cancer, in honor of those who couldn't be at the event due to treatments, and as a way for everyone to remember there is hope.

The choice of lantern-bearer was a last-minute decision, according to Relay for Life Event Chair Cristi Blanton.

Blanton told the crowd that she and Senior Development Manager Brooke Whitis had put off choosing someone for the silent lap until just a few minutes before the ceremony was to start.

As they were discussing who to ask, Blanton saw her old classmate Eldridge enter the room, and Blanton said, "I've got her."

Eldridge is a 45-year-old hairdresser who was diagnosed with cancer last August. She only found out that she had cancer after having an allergic reaction to an antibiotic which caused a concern that she might have a blood clot.

After being scanned, however, Eldridge found out that the mass in her chest they thought might be a clot was actually thymoma, a cancer that develops in the thymus gland.

That slow-growing mass was at 7.9 centimeters, with doctors saying it was likely it had been with her from six to 10 years.

"It had no signs," Eldridge said. "They said it would never have presented any signs for them to have looked for it," had it not been for her other health concern.

The good news, she said, is that thymoma stays where it is and rarely spreads to other parts of the body.

The bad news, however, is that it is largely inoperable. "They can [operate], but it would be a major, major surgery. They'd have to take my lung out and scrape [the cells]," she explained.

Still, even though thymoma is rare, it is treatable. "The doctors told me if you're going to have cancer, this is the kind of cancer to have," she said.

She had to undergo four rounds of chemotherapy, which Eldridge described as "harsh."

"I lost my hair within 12 days of my first treatment. I was very sick, very weak. But I pushed through," Eldridge said.

Losing her hair was an emotional experience, especially due to her job as a hair dresser. She is used to taking care of other people, and said before her own diagnosis she had shaved the heads of several people going through what she was going through at that time.

Shaving her head was an emotional moment for her, she said. "It was when the girl that I work with had to shave my head. At that moment I sat in the chair and I cried, because I knew what it was like to sit in the chair and what it was like to stand behind the chair," she said.

Her treatments took place every 21 days, and it was a seven-hour session, she said.

"Once I would get past about 10 days after my treatment, I would go back to work for a couple days, just to see my people and have a little normalcy in my life," she said.

Her last treatment was in February, and her last scan in March indicated that the growth was 85% dead, she said.

The area will still need to be watched to see if it begins growing again, she said. But for now, her prognosis is good.

She credited her family and friends with helping her get through the treatments, including her mother, Janell Meadows, husband Michael, daughter Taylor Wallen and Wallen's adopted son Owen Stump, who is 14.

"My momma went with me to every treatment so that my husband — he drives a truck — could continue to work," she said.

Eldridge called her grandson her "biggest push" in fighting through it.

As for what she wanted other cancer survivors to know, Eldridge said, "Never give up. You just have to keep fighting, and on your worst days when you think you can't, you can."

Along with the silent lap, cancer survivors and their caretakers were invited to take part in laps around the Relay for Life track. Throughout the evening, participants took part in other ceremonies such as the Luminaria, where folks were encouraged to illuminate decorated bags in honor of cancer survivors and in memory of those who have passed away.

There was also the Bell Ceremony, where those who were not able to "ring the bell" to signify the end of their treatments could do so. Family members could also ring the bell in memory of those whose fight was over.

Along with the poignant moments there were fun times as well. Games and a silent auction were held throughout the evening, and many businesses and relay teams set up booths to offer fun fundraising activities to guests.

The theme for this year's Relay was "Lights, Camera, Cure!" Most of the vendors and fundraising tables took on the themes for different favorite movies, such as the booth for Hendrickson which had gone with a "Super Mario Bros. Movie" motif.

Bianca Wallace, the Human Resources Manager for Hendrickson, said they had decided on that movie theme because one of their employees had just seen the movie with her children, and she was "super excited" about it.

As one of their activities, the group offered pictures with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach — the alternate identities of Caleb Hall, Clayton Taylor and Alyssa Hatfield.

The company has been participating in Relay for Life for several years, and they were helping to raise funds for the American Cancer Society in honor of the several employees who have battled cancer.

Relay for Life helps to raise money for ACS, which funds research and programs such as the Hope Lodge, a free place for cancer patients and their families to stay while they are receiving treatments. There are more than 30 lodges around the country, with one located in Lexington.

Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com