My name is Michael Ionescu, and I relay for my grandmother.

In November of 2022, my grandmother sadly passed away after a battle with stage 4 small-cell carcinoma. She was diagnosed in early 2022, and it came as a surprise to all of us as she had been a healthy, active woman for her age and showed little-to-no warning signs of this terrible disease.

In her battle against cancer, she underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy, but unfortunately, it was to no avail as her health continued to decline rapidly. Thankfully, my mom, brother and I were able to see her before she passed away as we flew out to Romania (where she was living with my grandpa) on October 30th and spent as much time as possible with her before she passed on November 8th, 2022.

Growing up, my grandma played a huge role in my life as she lived in the house next door with my grandpa. I would spend countless hours with her after elementary school, watching YTV while eating whatever snack she prepared. Weekends consisted of hanging out with both her and my grandpa, playing soccer in our backyard as they cheered me on as if I was the next Lionel Messi.

Her consistent support and love led me to be the man I am today, and I definitely would not be where I am without her.

This Relay for Life season, I have set my goal as $2,500 as a tribute to her and everything she has done for my family and me. Cancer is a god-awful disease, and I hope to help create a future where no one has to go through what she experienced. I would love and appreciate all types of support, whether that is monetary or even just a share of my story amongst your personal networks.