Kim Waggoner will be among the survivors who will share her incredible story of beating cancer during Saturday’s Relay For Life in Warsaw.

“In late 2009 I noticed some lymph nodes swelling,” she said. “My doctor ran some simple blood tests and they came back ok. I was a nurse in our local ER and we thought maybe I picked up a ‘bug.’ So I continued to monitor the lymph nodes and went about my daily life.”

As 2009 turned into 2010, Waggoner noticed more swollen lymph nodes appeared. “The crazy thing was, I was feeling great. I was healthy and lived an active lifestyle,” she explained.

More blood tests didn’t reveal any concern. “As the lymph nodes grew in size and amount, my doctor finally decided we should remove a couple and send them for testing to ‘rule out’ cancer,” added Waggoner. “I underwent surgery to remove two lymph nodes then waited for results. March 11, 2010, I received the news that I had a slow growing Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“I still remember that day. The sinking feeling, the fear and then came the WHY? I was healthy and active and only 35 years old. As soon as I started to ask WHY though, something amazing happened.”

Waggoner will share the rest of her story during the Relay For Life event, which begins at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds. She will be taking part in the Survivors Lap and the Caregivers Lap explaining, “I’ve been on both sides of it.”

The Survivors Lap begins at 3 p.m. and is for anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer. The Caregivers Lap will immediately follow and is for anyone who has been a caregiver to someone with cancer.

The entire Relay For Life will continue nonstop until 9 a.m. Sunday morning. Events will also include a Survivors Dinner, a Fight Back Ceremony, Survivorship Birthday Party and Purple Dance Party, plenty of activities for children, musical entertainment, food, a silent auction, fashion shows and more.

For information on how to join the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Warsaw, call Jimmy Bouterse at 574-265-7910.

To learn about Waggoner’s story of hope and courage, visit her website at www.kimwaggoner.com and click on the Cancer Journey tab.