Cadiz native Margie Myers remembers when, in her prime, she was on the wrong end of a melanoma diagnosis along her chest.
And she didn’t have many easy solutions in sight.
Tuesday night at the Cadiz Baptist Annex, however, she was the oldest champion over cancer in attendance for the 26th Annual Relay For Life Survivor’s Dinner — winner not just of a long-lived life, but a Cracker Barrel gift card to boot.
Two husbands have since come and gone due to lung cancer. Nevertheless, she’s persisted.
She remembers those early days of treatment well. A topical cream was ordered and administered by the beloved Dr. Eduardo Pavon, and a rudimentary slice of the skin removed dangerous cells.
Cancer-free ever since, Myers has some advice for those battling and beating cancer now.
Tuesday’s dinner, meanwhile, was sponsored by the Bank of Cadiz for the 24th consecutive time — its employees serving thankful families seeking friendship, fellowship and familiarity. Considered one of the larger crowds in recent memory, more than 125 were in attendance.
From a committee consisting of Pat Board, Patrick Dawson, Carolyn Freeman, Cissy Lawrence, Doris McGill, Matthew Phillips, Patti Purkes, Brenda Price, Charles and Edna Terrell, and Frankie Phillips, it was Tamra Phillips who took the microphone — reflecting on a few folks close to the group who had contributed so much to Relay For Life, but had died in recent years.
Dannye Jean Wagner. Pam Alexander. Kathy Payton. Nell Thomas. Susan Holmes.
And so many others.
The guest speaker: Dr. Alexander K. Diaz from Murray-Calloway County Hospital.
A child of Cuban immigrants and native of Miami, he’s a well-decorated and well-credentialed specialist by way through the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, a mentorship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a residency at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.
So, why come to west Kentucky? Two reasons. Number one, it’s not uncommon for families to uproot for months at a time and relocate closer to mega-facilities for treatment. And number two, if that’s not affordable, then they settle for “sub-standard” care.
Neither, he said, has to be true anymore — thanks to the support of Relay teams like Trigg County — and he urged no worse message could be conveyed, especially with west Kentucky’s strong network between Calloway County, Paducah, Hopkinsville and Nashville.
Trigg County’s cancer awareness and rally for support continues from 3-5 PM this Friday during “Pink Out.” Genesis Express will be on the WKDZ campus beginning at noon.