Zack Gilmore was just 16 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer.
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More than a year of treatment later and the Launceston teenager wants to use his experience to raise awareness for others suffering a similar diagnosis.
Zack, now 17, and his dad Matthew Gilmore are the new Launceston Ambassadors for the 2017 Relay For Life.
“I was diagnosed around this time last year … I felt like it was the perfect time to try and raise awareness for people going through treatment like I did,” Zack said.
After being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Zack spent nine months receiving chemotherapy twice a week and was unable to complete Year 11.
Now in the maintenance phase of his treatment, he faces monthly check ups in Melbourne until March 2018.
Taking on the ambassador position, Zack said he hoped he could become a role model for people his own age.
“It’s definitely taught me a lot of lessons, and although I wish I didn’t have to go through what I did to learn those lessons, hopefully I can go around to schools and have my biggest impact on other teenages,” he said.
“I think the biggest lesson is that family is the most important thing in the world, everything really gets put into perspective after you have been through treatment.”
Both Zack and his dad said they wanted to give back to the community that had supported them during the past year.
“It’s also about helping those parents who are going through something similar. When there’s a diagnosis of cancer in a child, or in general, it turns people’s lives upside down,” Mr Gilmore said.
Relay For Life state project manager Anthony Edwards said the event was one of Cancer Council Tasmania’s most important fundraisers.
“Relay For Life touches everyone who participates … cancer survivors, carers, those who are supporting or remembering a loved one and people who just want to make a difference,” Mr Edwards said.
Relay For Life 2017 and its new ambassadors will be launched in Hobart on Monday. The Launceston event will be on March 4, 2017.