Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

I was 4 years old.  Grandma Martha was sick.  I knew that because she wasn’t in the kitchen.  She was always in the kitchen.  She was a great German cook and even better baker, making breads and Danishes and crullers for all of us.  I was her only grandchild at the time and much doted on.  Now, she was propped up with pillows on the couch in the shaded living room full of plants and covered in soft quilts.  “Come here, Honey,” she said and held me in her arms.  She had ovarian cancer, and it had spread.  Her “female parts,” as they called them back then, had been removed.  She died at the young age of 52.  I was the only grandchild she ever met.

Fast forward about 30 years.  I have been diagnosed with pre-cancerous cells and must have my left ovary removed.  I flashed back to Grandma Martha, but I felt a sense of peace.  Cancer is no longer the death sentence that it once was in Grandma’s time.  There was the American Cancer Society.  They have been fighting.  They have been helping.  They have been looking for a cure.  And, because of the ACS, things are very different than they used to be.  I can look to the future, and my family and I thank God for the American Cancer Society.


Jennifer Wood
Middays on Mix 96
 

There are many things that touch all of us throughout our lives. Regrettably, cancer is one of those things that touches almost everyone at some point in time. If we haven’t had to deal with it personally, we almost certainly have had a loved one who has.

For me, it is my mother. After struggling through breast cancer and a brain tumor more than ten years ago, she is still around to tell us stories today. It was one of the toughest times my family has ever gone through. And for my mother, it was near devastation. A double mastectomy that she felt took away her womanhood. Even with reconstructive surgery. She still deals with the loss today, but thanks to God and the wonderful work of groups like the American Cancer Society, she is still with us.

I am proud and happy to be part of a radio station and group of people who are dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. And, for now, find ways to lower the risk and find it sooner while something can still be done. On a personal note, thank you to all of the wonderful people in our local American Cancer Society to do so much to help so many.


Bryan Jackson
Afternoons on Mix 96
 

My life was turned upside down when I was 8 years old, first learning what the word “cancer” meant, as my mom gently explained that she was sick and would be at the Doctor’s office a lot.  She bought me a coloring book and crayons that day, and for that moment, life seemed simple.   As the years went by, she was TWICE celebrated as a breast cancer survivor.  During those years, she went through chemo and radiation, and I often noticed she was on the phone with an organization called The American Cancer Society.  Being such a young age, I didn’t really understand who they were, but she did always seem much more cheerful after those phone calls.  A few more years went by, and at 17 my Mom told me that she had cancer again.  This time she was fighting non-hodgkins lymphoma, and sadly, she did not win this battle. 

I choose to participate in Making Strides in support of the American Cancer Society because I want to help make a difference for those who have been affected by this devastating disease.  For those who have been fortunate enough to have not been affected by cancer, I will fight to keep it that way!  Each person can make a difference, and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so.


Brooke Hawk
Mix 96 Promotion Director