How Cancer saved my life

My maternal grandmother was diagnosed with throat Cancer in 2006. When I got the news, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. The woman who had set such a good example of what a strong woman should look like was facing a disease that could take her life. It was almost unreal to think that there was anything that could stop her.
As my mother broke the news to me, I remember this feeling as if I were floating off to another world. I could hear her, but the words were inaudible. My grandmother couldn’t have cancer. People like her don’t get cancer. What would I do without her? A couple of weeks before I got the news, I remember having this uneasy feeling that something bad was going to happen. But never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would be the news that would leave me devastated. Up until that point, she was always the person we all turned to when we needed help getting through a tough situation. Our hero now needed our help. That’s when Cancer saved my life.
Cancer taught me to dig deeper. It taught me how to revise my Plan B. This life with Cancer was definitely not one that any of us would have ever imagined. But it was here, and we all had to find a way to deal with. My entire family had different ways of coping with our dark reality. Some were quiet, others were more vocal. I decided to cope with Cancer the way my grandmother had coped through so many different trials throughout the years. She dug deeper, worked harder, and never took No for an answer. And that’s exactly how we dealt with Cancer-we dug deeper, we fought harder, and when the doctors said No, we fought for a Yes. Cancer reminded me that life is worth living, even if it means that you simply have to fight harder. There is nothing wrong at all with spending the rest of your life fighting, as long as you are fighting for a good cause. My grandmother’s fight with Cancer reminded to live life. Cancer saved this family’s life. It taught us to cherish every moment, and live every day as if it were your last.
Unfortunately, there are some families who have been touched by Cancer who were not as fortunate as my family. Those families need the support of a large community in order to save their lives. There are so many ways in which people can contribute to fighting this horrible disease. The American Cancer Society has pledged to work harder to fight for more birthdays. My family and I have teamed up with Relay for Life in order to raise money to help the American Cancer Society save more lives. Our local Relay for Life event is April 23rd at South Central High School. With your support, we can fight this battle and win. Let Cancer save a life, instead of taking one.

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