Brandon Twp.-Cyndi Livingstone thought she was having a heart attack.
‘I just completed some laps in the pool with my son and I complained to my husband that my chest hurt,? said Livingstone, 51, a Detroit native who moved from Clawson to Ortonville about four years ago.
‘He took me to the hospital and rather than a heart attack, doctors discovered a 9 centimeter-by-5 centimeter lump on my breast. They told me I was going to need chemotherapy along with a complete mastectomy’all I could hear them say was: ‘they are going to lop off my boob and I’m going to lose my hair.??
Livingstone’s story was one of hundreds of stories shared last Saturday, at the first annual Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville, a 24-hour walk to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event attracted more than 1,000 people at the Brandon Schools Athletic Complex.
Livingstone, a Brandon High School employee, scheduled the surgery at Troy Beaumont Hospital during Christmas vacation 2006.
‘I figured I could either stay at home and clean my house or come back to work at the high school,? she said. ‘Humor was my best tool. I just never thought of myself as a victim or that I had cancer. I refused to let things get me down. This was my first Relay for Life and I found it a wonderful experience, one I’ll do again.?
Teams of 10-15 people, committed to having at least one member on the track at all times, along with participants honoring cancer survivors and those remembering family members that lost their lives to the disease, shared common ground for a few hours last Saturday.
Erin Oke, community representative for the American Cancer Society, reported that $43,330 was collected from the event.
‘The response was outstanding in Ortonville,? said Oke. ‘The goal was $35,000 and that was exceeded’it’s remarkable for a first time event.?
Oke said that there were 25 walking teams and 1,100 luminary bags were lighted in memory of cancer victims during the event.
Township Supervisor Ron Lapp welcomed the community who gathered for the all-night affair.
‘My father was diagnosed with cancer on June 21, 2006, exactly two years before the date of this Relay for Life,? he said. ‘He died 43 days later.?
‘This was a wonderful community event; once you participate in this you’ll do it again. I was very proud of this community for the turnout and the donations of time and effort,? Lapp said afterward.
Colleen Cordner, Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville event chairperson, said the group started planning for the 24-hour event last March.
‘Our goals were surpassed,? said Cordner.
‘Ortonville is that kind of community, they supported our group and really stepped up. We needed a specific number of teams for the relay and that goal was met ‘that’s a tribute to the people of Brandon.?