A tragic history of cancer, which has affected generations of family members in its different forms, will spur on the We Are Family team at the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life this weekend.
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The team, which has had individual members attend the relay since 2011, will be one of at least 50 that will step out and raise vital funds at the Orange Showground from 10.45am on Saturday to 7.45am on Sunday.
Money raised will go towards the Cancer Council’s research, prevention, and support services.
We Are Family team captain Jane Bryant will be joined by her mother and cancer survivor Eve Bryant and sister Kate Carter, who has had melanoma, and Miss Carter’s daughter Hanna Carter and grandchildren Ryley Curtis and Lilly Madden, as well as Sydney-based family friend Melissa King in the team.
“We wear our relay shirt all year round,” Miss Bryant said.
“Kate has each one on the wall at home and all of our survivor and carer sashes.”
The team has already raised 82 per cent of its $1000 fundraising goal and will have a jellybean guess, and will sell knitwear, ribbons, stickers, lap passports and canvas prints with inspirational slogans at the relay.
“We had so many people who died from cancer or had cancer in our family, it’s ridiculous,” Miss Bryant said.
“The first person was my grandfather Wally, he died of lung cancer.
“When I was 12, Mum had cervical cancer and she had a tumour removed and it was over three kilograms and I was her carer, it was just mum Kate and I.”
Her mother’s sister also had cervical cancer four years later but did not survive.
“Mum was the first person I’ve known who had cancer and lived,” Miss Bryant said.
“Our colour for Relay this year is lavender for all cancers.”
An aunt who was an avid gardener developed a skin cancer, which spread throughout her body before she died.
Miss Bryant’s father survived bowel cancer two years ago but a grandmother died after being diagnosed with blood cancer 15 years ago and one of Hanna’s grandparents died with liver cancer.
In most cases family members have kept their cancer battles to themselves including an uncle who had liver cancer for five years and Miss Bryant said she didn’t find out until after he died.
Melissa the other team member, also had family members with breast cancer, lung cancer, renal cancer, bowel cancer and pancreatic cancer, some of whom survived and some who did not.
Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
