With a malignant melanoma threatening her life, Mary was also told she wouldn’t have long to live.

In September last year Mary died, aged 90 years.

“Mum had a melanoma on her right shoulder and after the surgery she had 78 stitches because, back then, it was such a massive thing,” Mary’s daughter Jennette Hardy, of Aberglasslyn,  said.

A year later the cancer was detected under her right arm and her doctor was brought back from the war to remove the affected lymph nodes.

“The doctors told Mary she wouldn’t live past 21 and wouldn’t have any children. Well she had six of those and she lived to be 90,” granddaughter Danielle Hardy said.

“So cancer is also very much a story about survival.”

To honour her grandmother’s life, Danielle has formed a team for Relay For Life to be held in Maitland later this year.

“I’ve decided to call our team Fighters because everyone has their own story about a survivor or someone who has fought back against the unthinkable,” the 28-year-old said.

“Mary was told she wasn’t going to live and she fought back. Everyone has a story like this, but this is our story.”

The Hardys will begin their Relay For Life campaign with a fund-raiser at The Belmore Hotel on Sunday starting at noon.

“I don’t think it matters who you are, if you get this disease you will try and fight it with everything you’ve got,” Jennette said.