In 2008, the International Relay For Life held a training in Kuala Lumpur with staff and volunteers from Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, and two regions in Malaysia, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.  Relay For Life is not an easy "sell" in this part of the world - the culture is so very different from everything we know in the United States.  However everyone came to the table with open hearts and minds with one common goal: just wanting to make a difference in the lives of those going through a cancer experience.

One woman stood out from the group.  Her name was Ann Tan, and it was obvious she was a cancer survivor by the fact she had no hair.  But what made her so very special was that she had postponed her last chemo treatment in order to attend the Relay training.  This would be her third go-round with cancer, so she was no stranger to how the disease and the treatment can ravage your body.  Ann asked loads of questions. 

She was Taoist and really understood the sensitivities between multiple religious sects that needed to be navigated but wanted to understand how to reach out to survivors in the remote areas of the country, to bring the word cancer out of the closet, to help people talk about it instead of living in shame.

After the training, she set out and toured with the staff from the National Cancer Society of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, taking the Relay message on the road.  She also drove 5 hours to attend the Relay For Life in Penang in March. She recruited two bus loads of cancer survivors from the very remote areas to come and attend the Relay event taking place in Kuala Lumpur May 30-31 and then set about getting accommodations for them so they would have a bed to stay in at night.

Ann passed away on May 15, 2009 (two weeks before the Relay). 

The Malaysia Cancer Society dedicated the Luminaria Ceremony to Ann on May 30, 2009, which was attended by more than 5,000 people.  Although she wasn't there, her huge spirit was everywhere.  Relay continues to make a difference all over the world because of people like Ann Tan.  She will not be forgotten.

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