The co-survivor chairmen of the Kemper County Relay For Life were announced at a luncheon last Friday. The presenters and co-chairmen are pictured above. Doris Hill, left, presented Gladys Johnson, while Grace Gibson, right, presented Tommy Gully. Photo by Steve Swogetinsky
The co-survivor chairmen of the Kemper County Relay For Life were announced at a luncheon last Friday. The presenters and co-chairmen are pictured above. Doris Hill, left, presented Gladys Johnson, while Grace Gibson, right, presented Tommy Gully. Photo by Steve Swogetinsky
By Steve Swogetinsky

Kemper Messenger

         

Tommy Gully and Gladys P. Johnson were honored as the 2019 honorary survivor co-chairmen for the upcoming Kemper County Relay For Life, which is set for Friday, June 7, in downtown DeKalb.

This was announced Friday at the annual Kemper County survivor’s luncheon.

Relay For Life is a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. It will start around 6 p.m. with the Survivor’s Walk. There will be plenty of food, beverages and good fellowship.

Grace Gibson presented Gully with his award while Doris Hill presented Johnson with her plaque. Both talked about their battle with cancer.

“Back in October of last year, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer,” Gully said. “I found out was my PSA (Prostate Cancer Symptoms) test. If I had not taken that test, I would have never known I had something wrong with me.

“I felt perfectly fine. But my PSA kept going up and down.  It continued until it start rising and didn’t come down.”

Gully was referred to the Anderson Cancer Center in Meridian. He is being treated with radiation.

“My PSA was 60,” Gully said. “Now it is .05. The thing is I am most thankful for is my Lord Jesus Christ. People all over the country have prayed for me. I know Jesus Christ is in the healing business.”

Johnson was first diagnosed with cancer in 1989 and was declared cancer free in 1998. In 2005, she was cancer free.

Johnson gave glory to God for his healing grace “because it could have gone the other way,” she said.

“Cancer is just a word,” Johnson said. “I can truly say I am a survivor. When I started out with it, they wanted me to take chemo and I said no. They wanted me to take radiation and I said no,” Johnson said.

“I told my children that I have been born again. I am not going to do anything to shorten my life and I am not going to do anything to prolong my life. I said my life is in the Lord’s hands and I am going to give it to him,” said Johnson. “I am not going to say there weren’t trials and tribulations. There were. But I depended on the Lord and he brought me through.”

Beverly Knox of the Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition presented a program of both tobacco and pod vapes.