Global Heroes of Hope · Founder & Visionary
In Loving Memory · Relay For Life Hall of Fame, 2024
She believed that every story of survival deserved to be heard — and built a global stage to make sure it was.
Her Story
Thelma Suson was not just a volunteer — she was a force of nature with a quiet, unwavering conviction that no one touched by cancer should feel invisible. A breast cancer survivor herself, Thelma took her first Survivor Lap in 2001, still in the middle of treatment, and never stopped walking for others from that moment on.
Born with deep Filipino roots and shaped by a career with Delta Air Lines, Thelma carried a rare combination of organizational discipline and warmhearted personal connection into everything she built. After founding Delta's very first Relay For Life team in 2002, she became one of the most beloved and impactful volunteers in the history of the American Cancer Society's global programs.
From Frisco, Texas, she reached across oceans and time zones — leading Global Relay events in Japan, launching the Philippines' first collegiate Relay For Life in 2012, and eventually creating the framework that would become Global Heroes of Hope. She didn't just raise money; she raised voices. She taught survivors and caregivers how to tell their own stories through her signature "How to Tell Your Story" workshop, giving language and dignity to experiences that so often go unspoken.
Thelma passed away in 2025, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy — a global community of volunteers, survivors, caregivers, and advocates who carry her vision forward every single day. In November 2024, just months before her passing, she was inducted into the Relay For Life Hall of Fame — deeply deserved, and celebrated by all who loved her.
“She taught us that a story told with courage has the power to save a life — not because it offers a cure, but because it offers hope.
On Thelma's Legacy · Global Heroes of Hope
A Life in Service
2001
Still undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, Thelma walked her first Survivor Lap at a Relay For Life event — and discovered a community that would define the rest of her life.
2002
Thelma founded Delta's inaugural Relay For Life team, rallying her colleagues around a cause that had touched her personally — and sparking a culture of giving that spread well beyond the airline.
2005
With a vision of honoring cancer survivors and caregivers whose stories inspire entire communities, Thelma helped to create Heroes of Hope — a recognition program that would eventually grow into a worldwide movement.
2010
Thelma traveled to Japan to help lead Global Relay For Life programming, forging international connections and showing that the spirit of Relay transcends language and geography.
2012
Honoring her Filipino heritage, Thelma launched the Philippines' very first collegiate Relay For Life event — planting seeds of advocacy among a new generation of leaders.
Ongoing
One of Thelma's most enduring contributions was this workshop — a compassionate, practical guide to helping survivors and caregivers articulate their experiences, claim their narratives, and inspire others through the power of personal testimony.
November 2024
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the global Relay community, Thelma was inducted into the Relay For Life Hall of Fame — celebrated by friends, colleagues, and the volunteers whose lives she had forever changed.
2025
Thelma passed away in 2025, surrounded by the love of a community she had spent decades building. Her program, her workshops, and her spirit live on in the volunteers, survivors, and Heroes of Hope around the world who carry her torch.
Program History
What began as one woman's heartfelt desire to lift up the voices of cancer survivors has grown into one of the most unique and inspiring volunteer-led programs in the American Cancer Society's Global Relay For Life community. Global Heroes of Hope honors individuals from around the world whose courage, advocacy, and humanity illuminate the global fight against cancer.
Since its founding in 2011, the program has recognized outstanding Heroes from more than 20 countries, connected partner organizations across four world regions, and built a community that speaks many languages but shares one mission.
Thelma Suson created Heroes of Hope as a way to ensure that the extraordinary stories of everyday people affected by cancer were seen, honored, and shared with the world. In 2011, the program was adopted by Global Relay For Life.
The program has grown to include Heroes from partner organizations across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and beyond — united by a common hope.
Thelma's workshop became a cornerstone of the program, empowering Heroes to step into the spotlight with confidence and share the experiences that define — and transcend — their cancer journey.
Over the years, Global Relay For Life has built meaningful relationships with 37 partner organizations across four regions, amplifying its impact through collaboration, shared resources, and mutual encouragement.
Each year, a new class of Global Heroes of Hope is nominated and honored — a living tradition that keeps Thelma's founding vision fresh, relevant, and expanding into new corners of the globe.
GHOH is, at its heart, a volunteer-led program — proof that passionate individuals, given the right vision and tools, can create something that outlasts any one person and touches lives around the world.
Program Leadership
From its founding through today, GHOH has been shaped by dedicated volunteer leaders who gave their time, talent, and hearts to keep Thelma's dream alive.
Thelma Suson
Founder & Visionary
Created Heroes of Hope in 2005 and devoted two decades to building a truly global program rooted in the power of personal story.
Ashley McAuley
Co-Lead (with Thelma) · Current Program Lead
Joined Thelma as Co-Lead and has continued as the program's guiding force — stewarding Thelma's vision into its next chapter.
Steve Bell
Leadership Team
Brought his dedication and expertise to the GHOH team, helping grow the program's global reach and impact.
Cindy Menache
Leadership Team
Joined the core team alongside Steve Bell, lending her energy and commitment to an ever-expanding global community.
Freda Botha
Leadership Team
Came aboard and brought a vital perspective that helped deepen the program's connections across regions and partner organizations.
Global Heroes of Hope is now led by Ashley McAuley — but it is always led by Thelma's vision. Her belief that every person touched by cancer deserves to be seen, honored, and celebrated is not a chapter from the program's past. It is the foundation on which every future Hero will stand. Every story told, every Luminary lit, every connection made across borders and time zones is a continuation of what Thelma started with love, courage, and a first Survivor Lap taken in the middle of treatment.
We walk, because she walked first.