"It was really overwhelming ... it made me realise I had friends I didn't even know about."
The support she had received from the Waimarino community was part of the reason she was giving Relay for Life a go for the second time.
"The first time, I had to be rushed to hospital which was unfortunate."
The other reason was to support other cancer sufferers in the region.
In November last year, Mrs Joyce became the Waimarino Cancer Society co-ordinator.
She said so far she had met 10 other cancer sufferers in the area and that was only a portion.
"The other day I was at the bank and bumped into a lady and said I was just depositing a check to the Cancer Society and she said she had a bit of that.
"Another time my husband got called up to help with a man with something in his garden because he was having some sort of cancer treatment and we got talking," Mrs Joyce.
She said the Cancer Society really does help so many people.
"They supported me by giving me New World vouchers, petrol vouchers, garden club vouchers as well as all the moral support."
This Saturday, March 17, her team-of-20 called the Carrot Munchers will join 35 other teams at Whanganui's Relay for Life.
From 10am until 10pm walkers will count laps around Cooks Gardens to raise money for the Cancer Society.
Mrs Joyce said she estimated her team would have raised more than $3000 and that had come from people of all walks of life.
"I want this to be a way of showing the love and reaching out to people going through the tough times because it can feel very lonely."
