Caelyn Brady is not afraid of her past. She does not fear what haunted her for so many months in high school.

No, it was not a group of “Mean Girls,” but Ewin’s sarcoma, a rare cancer that develops primarily in teenagers.

Only 150 teens are diagnosed every year with the disease.

“I got diagnosed the first day of my spring quarter, and I finished chemo January of my senior year,” Brady, a sophomore from Atlanta, said about her encounter with the deadly disease.

“I’m not happy I went through it, but it made me a stronger person. I’m ready to talk about it now,” Brady said.

At the time, the odds were with Brady: she was only 17 years old, completely healthy and had a clean family history.

However, these favorable circumstances didn’t help stave off the disease. Instead, the gravity of the situation was apparent immediately.

“My mom and I went in [the doctor's office], and the first thing he says was, ‘If you survive this.’

“We were like, ‘OK, we need a second opinion,’” Brady said.

The disease took most of Brady’s high school experience away from her. Forced into isolation to prevent infections, Brady began to feel a different kind of pain from cancer.

“One of the hardest things about going through chemo . You kind of feel alone. No one knows what you’re feeling.”

Brady was fortunate enough to find deeper friendships growing out of those dark times.

“My family was there every step of the way, and my friends were great,” Brady said.

Meredith Schneider also has personal experience with the harsh realities of cancer. Schneider, a junior from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is the public relations chair for Relay for Life.

“My mother has been going through treatment for cancer for eight years now,” Schneider said. “It’s very weird seeing a parent so weak. They are supposed to be your support system, and having that role reversal . it’s a very maturing experience.”

Schneider said her mother’s sickness has pushed her to become a better person.

“Whenever I hear of anyone going through anything similar, I just want to help them.”

Schneider was not hard-pressed to find an appropriate outlet to help others.

“I just show compassion for other people, and Relay is a really good environment for that. I got involved with Relay my junior year in high school,” she said.

Schneider has participated in one way or another every year since.

“Cancer hits you and leaves you feeling helpless, but [Relay for Life] turns it into something productive. It brings together so many people who have been through so much.”

When reliving their stories, both women seem at ease, but Brady admits the scars of her experience are still fresh.

“I’ve been out of chemo for two and a half years. Last year I wasn’t ready to deal with it all, so I didn’t really do anything [with Relay for Life],” Brady said.

“Looking back on it, it’s a part of my life I should be proud of. I’ve defeated this terrible thing.”