In a joyous atmosphere of celebrating survival, leukemia and lymphoma victims and their supporters participated in the Light the Night Walk Saturday.
Survivors spoke to the crowd of supporters, families and friends about the process of healing from the disease.
"When she got sick, there was only a 10 percent survival rate, and now it's 97 percent," Colette Arcol, 50, said of her daughter, Christina, who contracted leukemia at 11 years old.
Others described their trips from hell and back, which in some cases were reminiscent of veteran war stories.
"The treatment is long and painful," Zack Pollack, 15, said. "The lumbar punctures hurt the most. I missed a lot of school, I lost a lot of my friends and my life. I can sum it all up in two words. Cancer sucks."
Zack has been off of his treatments for two years.
Speaker Mary Teicholz counted the date of her bone marrow transplant as her second birthday.
"And I expect presents," she said with a laugh.
Teicholz said the hardest part of her treatment was the bone marrow transplant.
"I was in isolation for 100 days," she said. "No one could touch me but the medical staff. It was the scariest time in my life, and no one could hug me."
Treatments have changed even as recently as three years ago, Teicholz said.
Mothers Tina Frisbie and Lisa Pollack met during their children's hospitalization and predict they will remain friends for life.
"You have to take it all one day at a time, and try to relax," Pollack said.
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