Patti Spanel felt like her health was in tip-top condition last fall. But this 3rd Grade teacher at Woodland Elementary will be the featured cheerleader for fellow cancer survivors Aug. 6 when she chairs the upcoming Relay For Life event at the high school track.

This Cameron resident is no stranger to cancer. Pattie's father died from it 21 years ago. Her husband, Tom, lost both of his parents and a brother to the disease. She also has a brother who is a 10-year survivor of cancer.

With that kind of background, it's no surprise that Patti was already well aware of Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society fundraiser that also doubles as a support system for those who have struggled with cancer or want to help those who have. Patti read about Relay For Life years ago in a newspaper. She then organized a team and will be participating in her ninth Relay next week. This time, though, she's chairing the event and will be giving a speech at the opening ceremony, which begins at 6 p.m.

Although she was a bit reluctant to take on the spotlight role, Patti considered the opportunity an honor and confronted her fears.

"If it helps fight cancer, I'll do it," she said.

It was just last November when Patti was diagnosed with anal cancer. That led to 5 weeks of intensive treatments. December and January were the most difficult months for her due to the chemo.

"I was extremely sick from that," she said. "I was very nauseous. I had a whole bunch of ulcers. My mouth was covered with sores. Wasn't eating, wasn't drinking.

"Yeah, they were my really nasty months. Couple of cold, dark winter months really. I lost a lot of weight. Lost all my hair, but it came back curly," she added with a laugh.

The repeated trips down to Eau Claire for treatment were another type of challenge she faced, and Patti credits her family and friends for helping her pull through. Her husband was her go-to guy when she needed to be shuttled to medical facilities time after time.

"He's my hero through it all," she said of her husband, Tom. Their kids, Mike and Joe, were also very supportive.

Once the effects of treatment subsided, Patti healed quickly. She was back to teaching at Woodland as of March 1, which also happens to be her birthday.

The ordeal has taught this teacher a little something about those around her.

"I think we all take for granted the little things that you do for other people," Patti said. "You know, things like the meals; I couldn't eat the meals (prepared for our family), but my husband, to be able to come home and not have to think about something for him and for Joe ... I see on the news all the negative things and all the bad things people do, but there's a lot more really nice, good people in the world. You just don't hear about them as much."