Husband and wife named Relay ambassadors

Betty Coffin said her mother always told her that bad things come in threes.

"We've had our three and many more, that's for sure," said the former Port aux Basques resident from her home in St. John's.

In the 1990s, Mrs. Coffin suffered a stroke that mildly impaired her mobility and speech. Her husband Nathan was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2006, and the couple's daughter suffers from Lupus. They moved to St. John's in 2008 to be closer to health services for both Mr. Coffin and their daughter.

Despite these setbacks, the couple maintains a positive outlook on life. That positive outlook is one of the reasons why Mr. and Mrs. Coffin have been named the 2010 Port aux Basques Relay for Life survivor and caregiver ambassadors respectively.

This will be the couple's third Relay for Life in Port aux Basques. Although they now live in the capital city, the two say the relay is a great excuse to travel home to see family and friends.

The all-night event features teams of participants taking part in a relay walk as well as other competitions. Cancer survivors are recognized and cancer victims are remembered during the night. This year's event will begin on June 12 at the Bruce II Sports Centre and will run into the early morning hours of the next day.

As ambassadors, the two will have special roles in many of the ceremonies, and will be asked to speak about their experience with cancer.

Mr. Coffin has been battling stomach cancer since 2006, although he has been off chemotherapy for six months now. His last body scan in late May came back clean. He has another scan in August, but for now he is enjoying a lot more free time.

"It's quite a change. I was going at least once a week to the health sciences. Then it was constant blood work. It was a busy week every week," he said.

With fewer hospital appointments, and summer approaching, Mr. Coffin has been taking time to indulge in his hobbies of gardening and woodworking.

He has also been tacking some home renovations, changing 10 windows in his St. John's home.

Mr. Coffin said his wife helps him keep a positive outlook.

"She is a great help to me. We support one another, naturally, and we try to keep going."

Mrs. Coffin said keeping busy can mean working in the garden, going for a drive or going out for supper.

"You have to get up and just take it one day at a time," she said "You can't just sit down all day and dwell on sickness."

Mrs. Coffin said although she and her husband lived in Port aux Basques for 45 years, the relay is a special time because it allows them to meet up with fellow cancer survivors from the area. She said all too often, they would bump into familiar faces while undergoing treatment in St. John's.

She said her husband received some of his early treatments in the LeGrow Health Centre and the treatment he received there was unparalleled.

"The nurses couldn't do enough for you. You miss that little closeness because it seems like they're part of the family," she said.

reporter@gulfnews.ca