RUMFORD — The number is so staggering, it almost takes your breath away. Thirty five. That’s how many family members Diane Mitchell has lost to cancer.

But Mitchell doesn’t get breathless or overwhelmed by the number. She gets busy.

The Rumford woman is the recent recipient of the St. George Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Cancer Society. It’s an award presented to “an outstanding volunteer in recognition of distinguished service to their community in support of the Society’s mission of saving lives from cancer.”

That’s Mitchell, all right. For years, she’s been writing senators and congressmen. She’s been visiting state lawmakers, asking them to take action on cancer research. She’s traveled to Washington, D.C, with other volunteers to meet with Maine’s elected officials. She shares her story and asks our leaders to make the fight against cancer a priority.

“Make no mistake about it,” state Director of Communications Sue Clifford wrote in a news release. “Diane is not a doctor. She is not a lawyer. She holds no fancy degrees. This is actually her secret weapon. She is you. She is me. She is the woman next door. She is a cancer advocate who lives in a small town in rural Maine who has lost more than her fair share to this insidious disease.”

It started when her sister-in-law, Linda, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the news release continues. When asked by a doctor, she and Linda both realized they had little knowledge of their family’s history with cancer. A little bit of research resulted in a startling discovery — 20 family members had been lost to the disease. They have lost grandmothers, mothers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, and a niece at the age of 4.

That’s a lot of people lost. But Diane also has others to worry about, including a husband, two children and six grandchildren.

“That’s what keeps me active,” she said Wednesday night.

Before her sister-in-law ultimately lost her battle to cancer and raised that already astounding number to 21, Diane made a promise to Linda to do everything in her power to put an end to cancer, and to make sure their family members, friends and communities are aware of the signs and the early detection programs. And so began her mission to put an end to that long history.

As her first experience with the American Cancer Society, Diane participated in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, walking in memory of Linda. Wanting to do more, she learned about Relay For Life and started a successful Relay in her hometown. Diane also saw the needs of cancer patients and their caregivers in Oxford County. She was instrumental in bringing the Society’s Road to Recovery and Reach to Recovery programs to the Rumford area by recruiting her neighbors as Reach volunteers while coordinating the Road program and volunteering as a driver.

In 2000, she learned about advocacy and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Like many volunteers, she had not fully realized the critical role that Congress played in funding cancer research and programs. She also had not fully understood the pivotal and influential role that individuals can play in influencing an elected official to support cancer issues.

She learned how simple it was to e-mail a senator or congressman and ask them to support cancer research. She discovered she could visit her state lawmakers and ask them to take action on bills that support anti-tobacco programs. She saw first-hand how legislators responded to her and her story. In 2002 and 2006, Diane was a Celebration on the Hill Ambassador.

Even so, she said the award came as a complete surprise.

“It was quite an honor,” Mitchell said. “And very humbling.”