Although his official duties as honorary chairman will last less than 24 hours, Gary Grant’s role can have an effect on people that will last a lifetime.

Wednesday, July 12, 2000

Although his official duties as honorary chairman will last less than 24 hours, Gary Grant’s role can have an effect on people that will last a lifetime.

Grant – a husband, father of two, school bus driver, partner of an appliance store and cancer survivor – said the honorary chairman appointed to the Mower County Relay for Life event serves as a symbol of hope, a reminder that cancer is beatable.

Grant has been cancer-free for more than three years now, and he’s thankful for every day he’s been given to spend with his wife Kathy, son Rob and daughter Angie. But, like anyone who has battled cancer, the journey to recovery has not been an easy one.

A sore throat and other symptoms first experienced in September 1996 led to the discovery of a golf-ball sized tumor in Grant’s throat, at the base of his tongue.

That was Dec. 5, 1996, and 10 days later, the Austin man was in surgery to have the tumor and some of his lymph glands removed.

Grant was told his throat cancer was rare for someone who was not a regular smoker. Grant said he had smoked for only a year after high school, but never became a regular smoker.

But Grant doesn’t focus on things he can’t change, like how or why he got cancer. Rather, he focuses on remaining healthy and appreciating everyday he and his family have been given.

"Ironically, the time during the initial diagnosis up to the surgery was some of the most fulfilling time we’ve spent together," Grant said of his wife.

All the time together in doctors’ offices and waiting rooms allowed the couple to have some time alone together, and it was time that Grant will always treasure.

It’s also brought him closer to his children.

His daughter was living at home at the time, and shortly before his diagnosis, his son returned home to look for a new job. Rob’s schedule allowed him to take care of his father during the radiation treatments, which brought father and son closer together, Grant said.

"It certainly makes you appreciate life more – all the little things," Grant said. "It gives you a different outlook on life and not to take it so seriously."

Grant is well on the road to recovery. After two and a half years on a feeding tube, Grant has been able to start drinking meals. Because of the trauma to the throat, his saliva glands were damaged, and Grant carries a water bottle with him everywhere. But it’s a small price to pay for a cancer-free life.

Grant’s role as the honorary chairman of the Relay for Life event will include a speech, which he’s still planning, and leading the first lap around the track for the annual relay.

"I haven’t started writing the speech yet, but I will reflecting on the process of taking things one day at a time," Grant said. "I also want to remind people to pay attention to the warning signs. I also want people to be aware of need for additional research.

The Relay for Life, a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society, will be Aug. 4 and 5.

Nationwide, the Relay for Life is expected to provide $20 million for cancer research. Locally, the 40 to 50 teams are expected to match, and perhaps exceed, last year’s total of $60,731, chairman Rob Schile said.

For more information on the Relay for Life, contact Schile at 434-7087.