Myles hoping to lead fund raisers in Relay For Life
By Peter EppChatham This Week
Tuesday June 03, 2003
Chatham This Week - There's a good chance Myles McLellan will lead all of Ontario in raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society at this month's Relay For Life event in Chatham.
The 10-year-old Chatham lad, diagnosed with a brain tumour 16 months ago, has so far raised over $10,000 for the June 20 and 21 event, and hopes to raise even more within the next several weeks.
Last year, the youngster who led the province in Relay For Life fund-raising collected over $7,000.
"Myles' goal is to beat that mark, and he already has, but he wants to be number one in Ontario for a young participant," says his mother, Susan McLellan.
Relay For Life is a 12-hour, overnight competition that has teams taking turn either walking, jogging or running around an athletic track while raising money for the Cancer Society. The first lap is traditionally taken by cancer survivors. Myles and his parents, along with friends, relatives, neighbours and classmates, have composed a team of 20 who will be taking the first lap on June 20.
Relay For Life will be held at the Chatham-Kent Athletic Complex behind Chatham-Kent Secondary School. The Chatham event will be one of 132 Relay For Life events held in June.
Cindy Vinall, the Chatham-Kent unit manager for the Society, says over 50 teams with over 600 people have so far registered. She notes there's still room if more want to get involved; they can call Cathy Telfer at 352-3960.
Vinall is pleased with the response, but is hesitant about providing an estimate about how much money might be raised. But she's optimistic: "Never I my wildest dreams did I think we'd get this kind of response."
For the McLellan family, their goal is to raise money and recognition. Susan McLellan says they want to "raise an awareness that there are children in Chatham-Kent who suffer from cancer, and that nobody should have to walk down the same path that Myles has walked."
The youngster was diagnosed with a rare tumour in February 2002 after he complained of a headache while swimming. His father, Wayne McLellan, took Myles to the hospital in Chatham where the tumour was revealed. Myles was rushed to Children's Hospital of Western Ontario in London for surgery. Most of the tumour was removed, but not before some of it had spread to the cerebral fluid to the spine.
Speaking to the Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise on May 27, Susan McLellan said her son didn't wake up in hospital for three weeks, and when he did, he found he had lost the use of his tongue, making it difficult to swallow, to eat, and to talk. Myles has since had successful therapy.
What followed was six weeks of radiation to his brain and his spine. And while undertaking chemotherapy, Myles gained 50 pounds and lost his hair.
The experience has devastated the McLellan family, but has also taught some life lessons. Susan McLellan says Myles' illness has left she and her husband with the realization that life is to be lived, and that every moment and every day should be cherished and savoured.
"If there's anything I can tell you today, it is to love your kids, love your wife, dance in the rain, play catch with your children, and live for the day," she told Rotarians. "You can't get time back. It slips away, and once it's gone, it's gone."
McLellan said Myles' situation is especially poignant because he is one of several children within Chatham who have in the past year or so developed a life-threatening cancer.
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