I am Val Reeves from Katy, Texas.  I am a wife, a mom, a VeeVee, and a retired teacher.  I became involved in Relay For Life about twenty years ago after a friend of mine invited me to participate in the Survivor Lap at our local Relay.  It was an emotional, but inspiring event for me.

My ten years of experience on our ELT has been mostly in the area of team development, but I have been Event Lead and have supported all other areas on our Leadership Team.

My husband’s cancer journey has been complicated, but he has persevered through each diagnosis that has come his way over the last twenty-four years as a survivor of testicular, colon cancer, and renal (kidney cancer) cell carcinoma.  Two years ago, he received a kidney transplant and is doing well.  My role as his Caregiver is one that I am passionate about and I am blessed to be by his side.

My own cancer story occurred from a diagnosis of breast cancer during a routine annual exam.  My mastectomy at age thirty-eight and reconstruction several years later have enabled me to see life as a gift, not something to be taken for granted.  I am proud of my twenty-two years as a survivor.

I Relay for women who need to be reminded to take care of themselves.  I Relay for others, like my husband, who continue to live their lives in the midst of cancer diagnoses.  I Relay for children whose parents are diagnosed and who feel threatened by the impact that this has on their family structure.  I guess that you can say that I have been on both side of the cancer “coin”.

Do you believe that there is HOPE for a cure?  I do!