Friday night hundreds will meet at Iola High School to raise awareness and money for cancer research at the Relay for Life event. During that time cancer survivors and those who lost their battle to cancer will be honored.
The relay has been moved to the high school due to rainy weather conditions in the forecast.
Laura Vogel, survivor chair, said there are 80 survivors planning to attend. One of those survivors will be Iolan Paul Upshaw.
Last July Upshaw, 72, became very ill and paid a visit to the doctor. He and his wife Saundra were sent to Overland Park to Menorah Medical Center to find a solution. It was there he was diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“At first they couldn’t decide what to do,” Paul said. “The doctors started me on a small dosage of chemo.”
Dr. Joseph Stilwill, Paul’s oncologist, started him on a treatment that lasted four days at a time.
He went through six treatments of this with breaks in between.
In May Paul had his six month checkup and found out he is clear of cancer. He will have another checkup in three months.
“A lot of prayers were answered,” Paul said.
Saundra and Paul give credit to the community during their time of need.
“We had such strong support from our church, friends and community,” Saundra said.
Paul said it was his family that helped pull him through it.
Saundra has been involved with Relay for Life since its beginning in Iola. Recently, several of the Upshaw’s friends have passed away from cancer, she said. When Paul was diagnosed it hit close to home.
“You never think how it will affect you until it involves you personally,” Saundra said.
The Luminaria Ceremony will begin at 9 p.m. Friday. The theme for this year’s relay is Super Heros.
