Cancer warrior

MAT-SU — Through 10 bouts with cancer and being hit by a drunk driver, Care Tuk’s sprit was never broken.

Now, as she recovers from her 89th surgery, she is preparing for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Colony High School beginning Friday at 7 p.m.

Relay For Life is an annual event held around the country. Teams made up of members of the community raise money for the fight against cancer by walking for 24 hours. Tuk witnessed the original Relay in Tacoma, Wash., nearly 25 years ago.

Today she lives in the Valley and is a volunteer for the event at Colony High. She took some time to answer questions from the Frontiersman.

Frontiersman: When were you first diagnosed with cancer?

Tuk: I was first diagnosed with cervical cancer when I was 19 in 1973. In ‘77, ‘78 and ‘79, the cervical cancer came back with ovarian cancer. I had breast cancer in ‘84 and ‘86, thyroid cancer in ‘90, lymphoma in ‘94, colorectal in ‘95 and malignant melanoma in ‘96. And there have been other little melanomas as the years have gone by.

F: Do you know why your cancers are so prevalent?

T: My mom took the drug called DES designed to prevent miscarriages. But what they didn’t know is the first generation of female offspring would end up with a lot of cancers.

F: So, I assume you’ve been through all the radiation and chemotherapy treatments multiple times.

T: Actually, I’ve only had one round of radiation and one short course of chemo. I am highly allergic to many of the cancer treatments. Most of my cancers were surgically removed. I can’t overemphasize early detection and screening. Also, I have an incredible husband. Caregivers and family members often don’t get enough credit. We’re the ones who have the good drugs, their the ones with the hard work. Humor, my faith and my friends have got us through.

F: How has cancer treatment changed over the years?

T: If we were to look at how they deal with cancer now opposed to the treatments of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it’s light years. Breast cancer and colorectal cancer were death sentences. Now with early screening, we are able to get it and knock it. And it’s because of the relay.

F: How did you get involved with the Relay For Life?

T: I was lying in bed recovering from one of my surgeries. The news was covering the very first Relay For Life organized by my doctor (Gordy Klatt). I realized Gordy was relaying for me, his friends were relaying for me, and they didn’t even know it. Over the years, I didn’t want to be identified that cancer was my thing. Yes I donated to it, but it wasn’t for another 10 years that it dawned on me that it’s my responsibility.

F: What is the purpose of the relay?

T: It’s not just about money. We need money, yes, but it’s to show that were still in this fight. It’s empowering. We need to share the message that we need this support. If you look to your left and look to your right, one of the three of you is going to be affected by cancer in your life. None of us want this, but I don’t know think there’s one person in this valley who doesn’t know some one who has had cancer.

F: What happens at the relay?

T: We relay day and night because there is no stop to our hope. We have a survivors’’ walk where all the cancer survivors in attendance are honored on the track. At midnight, we do luminaries with the names of the people lost to cancer or survived on bags lit up with candles. The bags are then arraigned to spell out HOPE in the bleachers and line the track.

There is also the Quarters for a Cure where we try to line the track with quarters. There’s a theme for each hour: dog walk hour, leap frog hour, walk backwards hour. We play an obnoxious song in the middle of the night until a certain amount of money is raised.

F: What can people do to get involved?

T: If you’ve never been to a relay, just come and see what it’s about. I ask people would you be willing to give up one latte, one medium pizza or one movie ticket? If you are, just come by and drop that off at the Colony track. If anyone knows someone who has battled, survived or whatever, just give us their names and we will light a candle in their honor or memory.

F: How do you start a team?

T: Go to our website at www.matsurelay.org to join or start a team. A lot of teams have been doing it for years, and fundraising is a year-round event.

F: How has the relay changed since the first event?

T: It’s getting national recognition now. There are school events at colleges and universities. There are a lot more teams, and it’s a lot more organized. I had the honor to go to Washington, D.C., to speak with representatives and senators to get more money into research. The relay is really catching on.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or (907) 352-2252.