| When my grandfather died from kidney cancer two | | | | due to pancreatic cancer, he never once let his |
| years before I was born, there were no real | | | | cancer diagnosis hinder him from doing what he |
| treatments available to him at the time. Besides this, | | | | wanted. Right up to the end, he was still fighting for |
| his cancer was caught in the later stages after it had | | | | a cure for cancer as well as fighting to raise |
| already metastasized. He had a couple of things going | | | | awareness for more cancer research so that others |
| against him back then. However, there is no doubt | | | | behind him might one day have a better chance at |
| that had he faced this problem today, he would still | | | | treatment as well as a cure. Currently, there is no |
| be alive. That, alone, just goes to show you how | | | | cure for pancreatic cancer. And this is just one of |
| much cancer research has been done over the last | | | | many other rare types of cancers that is often |
| several decades. | | | | terminal due to lack of research. |
| Years after my grandfather's death, my grandmother | | | | Making a difference in increasing cancer research |
| discovered that she had a lump in her breast. When | | | | stems mostly from funding. Research for cancer is |
| she went to the doctor, they determined that she | | | | often expensive and intense, requiring the use of |
| did, in fact, have breast cancer in the one breast and | | | | many technical tools as well as expertise from those |
| immediately gave her a short round of radiation while | | | | who have spent countless hours studying medical |
| removing the cancer from her body. Now, at almost | | | | journals and conducting independent experiments. |
| 80 years old, she is alive and well. But, would this | | | | Therefore, much of the effort comes from |
| have been the case if she had had this problem | | | | fundraising that is done by everyday people like you |
| decades ago? I shudder to think about it. | | | | and me. Something as small as purchasing a pink or |
| Nowadays, there are so many more options for | | | | purple ribbon key chain to raise cancer awareness |
| those who receive a diagnosis that finding out you | | | | among others counts because monies from the |
| have cancer doesn't necessarily have to be | | | | purchases you make and fundraising efforts you |
| something that throws you completely off your | | | | bring in goes towards one day finding a cure for |
| normal, day-to-day routine. Look at someone like | | | | cancer. |
| celebrity, Patrick Swayze. Before his untimely death | | | | |