Back to Military Life

Relay for Life Team Madigan steps up

Walking for 26-year Army veteran Albert ‘Rob' Roberts

At the 2012 Relay for Life in Lakewood, Rhonda Roberts walks with her husband, Rob, who had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. Courtesy photo

Email Article Print Article Share on Facebook Share on Reddit Share on StumbleUpon

"You've probably heard about American Cancer Society's Relay for Life but you don't really participate most of the time until it hits closer to home," said Tyrani Wells, co-organizer of the Relay for Life Team Madigan.

Wells, who works at Madigan Army Medical Center, was personally inspired to get involved when her co-worker's husband was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, it hit even closer to home than that, since that co-worker is also her sister, Rhonda Roberts.

"Last January, my husband was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer and given 14 months to live if they removed the tumors," Roberts quietly stated. "The University of Washington Medical Center removed them and then he underwent radiation and chemotherapy."

Albert ‘Rob' Roberts, a 26-year Army veteran and now also a DoD employee working at Madigan, had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is the most common and most lethal type of malignant brain tumors that can be found in adults.

Then, on a recommendation from a friend, the couple decided to participate in the 2011 Relay for Life.

"It was an amazing event that I will never forget," Roberts began emotionally.

"So we went and my husband didn't walk that much, but he was there," she continued. "Then he got up and spoke as a survivor and at the same time he heard from others with brain cancer who had survived even longer. It gave him hope. I decided then that we'd continue to do the relay to promote education, awareness and hope."

"People tell me that I am so strong, but I'm not. I just have all of this support," Roberts said. "These people (on our team) are our battle buddies and they are here right next to us. I cannot imagine doing this alone."

"This is the first time we've all been stationed in the same place and I guess there was a reason," Wells explained, whose active-duty Army husband is also stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Team Madigan has 72 registered walkers so far, from cancer survivors to nursing students to hospital contractors to friends of the Roberts family. While the team name heralds back to the Army hospital, the team is not endorsed by or tied exclusively to Madigan and that is why Roberts and Wells want to expand things for 2014.

"These teams are often created in honor of one person, like my husband, however, we're military and I want this to be a place for everyone to celebrate surviving or to remember someone they've lost," Roberts explained. "Cancer touches all of us these days and nobody fights alone."

To date, it has been 16 months since Rob's dire diagnosis and he continues to work everyday and remain active, which his wife encourages.

"He is still here and every day is a bonus from here on out," Roberts said through tears, explaining that her husband of 16 years must have scans done every two months to evaluate if the tumors have returned yet. "I don't know where my husband's journey will end, but if my husband can make a difference for someone else down the line..."

The Relay for Life Lakewood event at Clover Park High School starts at 6 p.m. Friday, May 31 and continues until 11 a.m. the next day. Team members have the option to walk for all 18 hours or just for five minutes, according to Wells, and there will always be a Team Madigan member walking because cancer doesn't sleep.

"Anyone can go online to register or they can call us directly. We don't discriminate, the more the merrier - we just want to raise awareness and funds," Wells concluded.

Last year, the team raised just more than $5,000 and, this year, they've already managed to double that amount. Moreover, of the 38 teams registered for the Lakewood Relay for Life, Team Madigan is the fundraising frontrunner. However, there's always a need for more donations - which are tax-deductible and go directly to the American Cancer Society. 

They are also seeking a volunteer photographer to capture this year's relay, as well as donations of water and snacks.

To join Team Madigan or donate, click here or call Roberts at 360.888.2980 or Wells at 360.489.2713. For additional team information, you can also visit www.facebook.com/TeamMadiganRelayForLife

comments powered by Disqus