By Luke Voogt
Relay for Life had been “front-and-centre” in Elaine Holman’s world for 13 years when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018.
She and husband John joined the walk in 2005 after his diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2002, which he has since overcome.
A non-smoker, Elaine had no symptoms until her “left hand decided it didn’t want to play [piano] anymore” during a choir performance in December 2018.
Tests revealed a brain tumour and tumours in her pelvis and hip, resulting from stage 4 metastatic lung cancer.
Surgeons removed the brain tumour and specialists targeted the others with radiation.
Now she has ongoing immunotherapy to fight the remaining cancer in her lung.
“It doesn’t have the same drastic side-affects as chemotherapy,” she said.
“It’s given me a quality of life I didn’t think I was going to have.”
Elaine reckons she, John and their team have raised about $100,000 for Geelong Relay for Life.
But COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of the 2020 event, initially scheduled for October.
Elaine is encouraging Geelong locals to donate to the event’s beneficiary Cancer Council Victoria directly instead.
To donate: www.cancervic.org.au
