Regan Cunningham is in the second grade at Graham Elementary School in Talladega.

Doctors found her rare form of liver cancer in January of 2007.

Since then, she’s lost one lung, has tumors in the remaining one and at one point, her family was told there was nothing else anyone could do for her.

But a new experimental form of treatment is offering new hope to end Reagan’s cancer, she has treatments every Tuesday in hopes of eliminating the disease.

Regan’s story is one of the ways cancer survivor Nancy King, a first grade teacher at Graham Elementary, explains the importance of the Relay for Life and fundraising efforts for The American Cancer Society.

“With some of the money that’s raised used for cancer research, it means there can be more treatments for people developed,” King said.

King and Regan are two of three cancer survivors at Graham Elementary, the third is custodian Connie Cunningham, a four-year-survivor of breast cancer.

Cunningham and King and the entire school have formed their first Relay for Life Team this year, and have already raise close to their $2,000 goal.

The children and teachers are helping sell $1 Relay for Life emblems that are filling up the hallways in the school, along with bright yellow stars indicating a $5 donation made for a Relay for Life Luminary.

Most all the faculty and staff at Graham have bought Relay t-shirts and there’s a link on the North Talladega Relay web site (www.Relayforlife.org/northtalladega) for the school’s effort for the 2010 Relay, just type in “Graham Elementary” or “Nancy King.”

The North Talladega Relay for Life is set for Friday, May 14 at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Track. The Relay starts at 7 p.m. and there’s a Survivors’ Dinner at 5 p.m.

To register a team or for other information, contact Cindy Pennington event chair at cindy35160@yahoo.com or 256/493-2469, Kelly Gilmore publicity chair at Kelly.gilmore@bhsala.com or 256/761-4493 or The American Cancer Society @ 800-ACS-2345 or www.cancer.org .

King’s cancer is rare as well, called carcinoid, King underwent one surgery to remove three-fourths of her small intestine last summer.

“The good news is that it’s a slow growing form,” King said. “The bad news is that it’s spread to my liver.”

Talking about having cancer brings both King and Cunningham to a conclusion many wouldn’t expect.

“Cancer is a blessing,” King said. “It just makes you appreciate life, the little things like hearing the birds singing.”

“God blesses us every day,” Cunning ham said

“But truly, this is a club you don’t want to be in,” King said.