Raewyn Rooney, chair of the ceremonies committee for Taranaki Relay for Life 2016, will be writing a series of columns for the Stratford Press in the lead up to the March event. This week she talks about the Survivors' Lap which is always part of the Relay for Life event.
Are you a cancer survivor?
One definition of a survivor is "a person regarded as resilient or courageous enough to be able to overcome hardship, misfortunes etc".
Surviving cancer or "survivorship" is defined in different ways. Cancer patients are widely regarded as survivors from the time they receive their initial diagnosis.
No matter the definition, survivorship is unique for each person. Close friends and family are considered to be "co-survivors" because of what they experience in caring for the person.