Every year as Mary da Costa prepares for the Relay for Life at Percy Perry Stadium, she has a decision to make: does she wear a blue volunteers’ t-shirt, the orange organizing committee t-shirt or the yellow cancer survivors’ t-shirt?
She brings all three.
Because for most of the past 19 years she’s served as a volunteer on relay day and an organizer leading up to the event because she’s survived cancer.
da Costa’s journey to the Relay started 29 years ago when she received a phone call from her doctor, who was following up her routine physical.
“You weren’t planning on having any more children, were you?” he asked.
That question launched a whirlwind of appointments, a biopsy and further questions in da Costa’s mind. She felt fine. Her doctor had indicated no concerns during her examination. She was 27 years old, a mother of one daughter, and healthy - as far as she knew.
It wasn’t until da Costa visited her third doctor she learned she had stage 2 cervical cancer.
“I was shocked,” recalled da Costa.
Ten days after her doctor’s initial phone call, da Costa was discussing her treatment with a surgeon. Fortunately her cancer could be excised with just an operation; no radiation, no chemotherapy.
“I was lucky,” said da Costa.
But the support and counselling she received from the Canadian Cancer Society to help her through her ordeal made a lasting impression. She vowed to pay that back.
“It’s good to feel a part of something bigger,” said da Costa, who started volunteering at the relay by selling the candles participants light to memorialize loved ones they’ve lost to cancer.
Over the years her involvement progressed; for the past eight years da Costa has been co-chairing the survivors’ committee, organizing activities in the survivors’ tent like a pancake breakfast and afternoon tea.
“It’s a fun day,” said da Costa.
But it can also be an emotionally gruelling one, listening to survivors’ stories, reflecting on the children she was not able to have.
“I have lots of good friends to hug,” said da Costa. “You need to have that emotion pass through you and just accept it.”
This year’s Relay for Life takes place June 3, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Percy Perry Stadium. For more information, to register as a participant or volunteer, or to donate, go to www.relayforlife.ca.
