Sheila Gruenefeld has long been a supporter of the Warren County Relay for Life. Until several years ago, she never thought she would participate as a cancer survivor. Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004, the annual event took on new meaning for her. She can happily say that she’s been cancer free for seven years now. “I did the Relay, but I was doing it for me,” Gruenefeld said. “Now it’s about helping other people. That is what I want to do.” This weekend’s Relay for Life will hold a special meaning for Gruenefeld. Her family was hit with more bad news last year when her son and father were diagnosed with testicular and prostate cancer, respectively, within months of one another. Both are currently undergoing treatment and their prognosis appears promising. Gruenefeld relishes the opportunity to see and speak with other cancer survivors. “You have to have a positive attitude,” she said. “There is hope.” The Relay for Life festivities begin at 6 p.m. Friday with a survivors lap, with the luminaria ceremony to follow at 10 p.m. The closing ceremony will start at 5:45 a.m. Saturday. Participants will gather in tents and sleeping bags overnight and take part in the largest fundraising walk in the nation around the Black Hawk Middle School track in Warrenton. Funds that are raised help support American Cancer Society programs and cancer research. Now that cancer has affected other close family members, Gruenefeld is committed to encourage more support for the event so that one day a cure can be found. “The more people who know and are aware of cancer, the better off we will be,” she said. “If you make them aware of it, they might want to get checked. If they detect it early enough, that helps a lot.” Early detection played a huge part in Gruenefeld’s prognosis. She believed she was suffering from a hemorrhoid, but decided to go see a doctor to get checked out. Soon after, a colonscopy was scheduled and doctors had to cut the procedure short after finding a tumor. On Oct. 6, 2004, the tumor was removed. Four days later, she learned it was cancer. “It’s very dramatic,” Gruenefeld said. “You never think it’s going to happen to you.” The 14 months spent receiving treatments took a toll on Gruenefeld at times as she took four tablets loaded with cancer-fighting medicine daily and had an IV drip every three weeks. She was thankful for the support she received from her husband, family, friends and co-workers who stood by her side. “Some mornings I couldn’t get up or I had to be taken home from work,” she said. “It turned our life upside down. Some days I couldn’t move. Some days I could get up to the couch, but that was it.” Once she reaches her 10-year anniversary of being cancer free in 2014, Gruenefeld plans on getting a tattoo with the words “live, laugh and love” inscribed in a heart. It will serve as a reminder for a disease that changed her outlook on life and future Relay for Life events. “I live life different, live one day at a time,” Gruenefeld said. “I appreciate things more. My faith has helped me though this.”