Mary Flanigan’s infectious laugh and spontaneous giggles belie her long and difficult fight with cancer. The Williamsville resident is a two-time childhood cancer survivor, diagnosed the first time when she was six years old and again at 16. She was treated each time for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, which normally fight infection.

Mary says she remembers it all – two and half years of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries and side effects of treatment, such as the loss of her long blond hair. There are good memories, too – outpatient visits to a local pizzeria, the support of friends and family and platelet donations from hundreds of anonymous volunteers. To this day, she thanks those who helped her become a survivor because they chose to donate platelets, which help blood to clot. “I don’t think people know how important those blood donations are. These anonymous friends, along with the doctors and terrific nurses, are the reason I am here today.”

Mary is a survivor in the truest sense of the word. During treatment, she wasn’t able to attend high school for her sophomore and junior years. Her teachers sent work home and she graduated on time with honors and a Regents diploma. Now the resilient young woman is a junior at Buffalo State College, earning a degree in public relations and advertising while working full time as a waitress.

“While my life is incredibly busy now, bumps in the road don’t seem so big. When I start to become stressed about school or work, I put these challenges in perspective. My memories help keep me in check,” Mary explains.

Mary also has been a regular contributor to The Paint Box Project, lending her considerable artistic talents to the annual holiday card program that raises money for Roswell Park’s research.

She wants to give back and hopes to write a book, reflecting on her experiences as a cancer patient in an effort to help others cope with the disease.

Mary’s message of hope for the holidays: “Laugh often. Hold your family and friends close and offer a helping hand to others whenever you can to make their lives a little easier.”