Michael Cecil was only 5-years-old when his mother, Sheila, was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma — a peripheral nerve sheath tumor — a form of cancer of the connective tissue surrounding nerves.

Now a 17-year-old senior at Issaquah High School, he’s really only known his mom as a cancer patient. Sheila’s tumor was originally in her nasal passages, so she had to have brain surgery. The event that triggered her to go to the doctor, was a nose bleed that wouldn’t stop.

Now Sheila is cancer free although still dealing with maintenance. Sadly, her sister, Peggy, Michael’s Godmother, is now battling stage four breast cancer. This in a family with no history of cancer. Even more mysterious, both Sheila and Peggy were diagnosed at age 39.

“When I was diagnosed, he had said if something happens to me, aunt Peggy will be like my mom,” Sheila said. Then he wondered what would happen if both were gone? “The best thing for the kids (Michael’s older siblings, Jackie, 21, and Andy, 23) is to realize there is hope although there’s a lot of sadness with cancer.”

That’s why Michael has been involved with American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life – raising $12,000 for his team last year. He has been involved for several years, raising money with fundraisers such as a game night, or talking to folks waiting in line for the ferry.

Sheila said Michael and his co-captain, Ryan Fukuda along with Mary Lou and Karl Pauley, also organize a benefit dinner/fundraiser each year at Gibson Hall, which is their biggest fundraising event.

“He doesn’t have any problems speaking in front of people,” Sheila said of her youngest son.

Although the ACS Relay for Life isn’t until spring, the Relay for Life, Issaquah, is calling on volunteers and teams to rally now.

Wednesday, Nov. 14, there will be a 2013 Relay Fall Kick-Off Open House at Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way, SW.

Aimee Martin, Community Relationship Manager for ACS, said the Issaquah Relay is its largest fundraiser in King County, grossing more than $200,000 annually.

It started with just four teams in 1999 at the Issaquah High School track.

Martin said most of the money raised in the 2013 event will fund Cancer Prevention Study Three, which will monitor a group of people for 20 to 30 years.

The study is focused on lifestyle choices. It will look at what the volunteers eat, if they exercise or if they have children. To be part of the study you must be between the ages of 30 and 65 and have not had cancer. Family history of cancer is not a factor.

Funds will also be directed to research, salaries for patient navigators, funding for rides to the doctor for patients and for the Reach to Recovery program where former cancer patients mentor newly diagnosed patients, helping them through the labyrinth of cancer treatment.

Martin said ACS has funded 46 researchers who have won individual Nobel Prizes in scientific research.

Each relayer is expected to raise at least $100 in order to stay on the track and stay overnight.

“I am truly proud of Michael, Jackie and Andy,” Sheila said. “They always wanted to do something to make my cancer go away.”