For Rodin family and others, Relay is affirmation of life

Elvira Rodin –who is leading a team at this year’s Relay for Life at FortHamilton High School athletic field later this month — remembersthe pain her family suffered when her daughter, Rachel, wasdiagnosed with leukemia at age three.

“Thewhole experience was very trying, filled with hospitalizations dueto infections, despair and an awful feeling of helplessness,” saidRodin.

During thosetimes, Rodin, her husband and her son felt scared because they werefacing a hazy future. She said we “needed to be around people whowent through that, and feel the support that way.”

So, a yearlater, Rodin and her son went to the 2004 Relay for Life. Sponsoredby the American Cancer Society (ACS), the worldwide initiativeraises money for cancer research and patient support whilecelebrating survivors of the disease and commemorating those whohave succumbed to it.

There, Rodinsaid, she found what she was looking for — support from herneighbors and other people who had gone through the same experienceand survived.

“It was sowonderful to see so many cancer survivors,” Rodin recalled. “Themore you talk, the more you find out, (and) you get hope that wewill be able to go through same experience and defeatcancer.”

Subsequently,Rodin started to take Rachel to Relay for Life because, she said,“Seeing other children, it helps her to have a positive outlookrather than a negative.”

Rodin attributedthe support from the event as playing a major role in Rachel’srecovery, stressing, “My heart is filled with gratitude to all ofthe people who helped us so much and supported us.”

Over the years,the family continued to participate in Relay for Life and in 2008,Rachel had a successful stem cell transplant, and became healthy –reason enough for the Rodin family to continue participation in theevent.

This year’s BayRidge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst Relay for Life will take placeon June 18, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Fort Hamilton High Schoolathletic field, on Colonial Road at 83^rdStreet.

The event –simply known as Relay — is “an opportunity for the community tocome together in support of our cancer survivors and anybody whohas been touched by cancer, so that they never have to be alonewhen you hear the words ‘you have cancer,’” said Nancy Colt,director of special events for ACS’s Brooklyn office.

Started 26 yearsago by Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Washington-based surgeon and marathonrunner, the international phenomenon has generated over $4 billionfor cancer research and patient services, and each year peoplecreate teams to participate in about 5,000 relays in 18countries.

During theevent, teams will walk around the track carrying the originalmessage Klatt created and motivated by the themes of “celebrate,remember, and fight back.”

The event beginswith a Survivor’s Lap. Then, after dark, participants will walk alap in silence around luminaries lit to remember loved ones whohave fought the disease, in the Luminary Ceremony.

Finally there isa Fight Back Ceremony in which participants make a pledge about howthey intend to fight back against cancer.

The Rodin familycontinues to participate in the Relays as their way to fightback.

Rodin said heronce-frightened daughter has grown into a “regular” 10-year oldgirl who enjoys swimming, fashion and helping others in thestruggle against cancer.

“This year weset up a team, called Rachel’s Team, with a goal to collect $2,500for the American Cancer Society. We’ve already reached our goal andwe keep going further so that the cure for any type of cancer isfound,” Rodin said.

For furtherinformation on Relay, log onto www.relayforlife.org/relay/or call 800-ACS-2345. To donate to Rachel’s team, log onto http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11EA?team_id=938350&pg=team&fr_id=29368.