HALIFAX — In 2005, Gayle Garrett got some of the worst news imaginable: Doctors told her, after an erroneous initial diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, that she had a rare form of ovarian cancer. She credits a variety of factors, including support of family and friends, for her survival.

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“They didn’t expect me to live through surgery or much after surgery,” Garrett says. “I was in pretty bad shape. I have a strong will to live and a good faith in God. It makes a big difference.”

Also making a difference was the treatment she received at UNC Chapel Hill, one of the facilities the American Cancer Society helps to fund directly. “I went through six treatments of chemo,” Garrett explains.

“It took me a year to feel normal again,” Garrett adds. “Since then all my test results come back great.”

With the worst behind her, Garrett turns her attention these days to fighting for others by serving as Team Recruiter for Roanoke Valley Relay for Life. “I wanted to participate in finding a cure so my friends and family wouldn’t have to go through it. It’s a terrible disease and we have to get rid of it.”

“I have two friends who were just diagnosed,” Garrett, who’s participated in Relay for Life since 2006, says. “It makes you feel helpless. But I can tell them my story and it gives them hope.”

In addition to helping find a cure, Garrett feels her work with Relay for Life to be fulfilling. “I love it; I get to be the fun part. I coordinate a lot of the games at the meetings and make sure the teams get all the information they need. At the actual relay, I help coordinate the teams so they know what they should be doing.”

Garrett also gives praise to those working with her on Relay for Life. “We have a great relay committee here, everyone is very helpful. We’re always open to new volunteers.”

With the experience of surviving cancer in her past and the prospect of her friends’ battles with the disease ahead of her, Garrett wants the public to remember the seriousness of the cause. To help herself remember, she has adopted this personal motto: “Cancer never sleeps.”

With volunteers such as Garrett involved, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life continues to make a difference in the community and around the state. The 2009 event raised $123,127, all of which gets distributed in North Carolina.