Although this post is sponsored by American Cancer Society, it is my true story of cancer…
I lost my dad to cancer over 25 years ago. Much like my foster kids, I will never recover from that traumatic loss of a parent.
Cancer traumatized me as a young college student when my dad was suddenly in ICU, disoriented, and strapped to his bed. My dad had suffered a seizure and had become aggressive with the hospital staff. A cat scan showed that my dad had 3 tumors in his brain. All those years of smoking had led to lung cancer that had metastasized in his brain. The doctors gave him 6 months to live.
And just like that, with no warning, cancer, the silent killer, destroyed our lives!
I’ve shared about growing up in poverty, but what I found next still breaks my heart…
My hearing-impaired father, who had recently lost his job of 26 years, was just too proud to ask for help: My Daddy had been living in his home with no electricity, surviving on a diet of pecans he had gathered from a local park.
And now CANCER! With no health insurance, we had very little hope.
However, even in our darkest hours, God can still shower us with His blessings. We were blessed by many angels that helped us through this horrifying journey of brain cancer. My heart overflows for all those that helped our family during this difficult time.
I am extremely grateful for the American Cancer Society. The ACS provided us with a wheelchair and hospital bed once my dad became bedridden. Thank you again!
The American Cancer Society will turn 100 years old on May 22, 2013. Watch this moving video!
By not remaining silent, the work of the American Cancer Society has helped lead to a 50 percent drop in smoking since the 1960s, which has contributed to a drop in overall lung cancer death rates. ACS has played a role in nearly every cancer research breakthrough in recent history. And because of this research, I am now 9 years CANCER-FREE!!
GOALS OF THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
- Continue to ensure lifesaving cancer research gets funded.
- Undertake a historic research study called the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) that will help us understand how to prevent cancer and save lives. The goal is to enroll at least 300,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the US by the end of this year.
- Make sure that people facing cancer have the help they need, like a free place to stay during treatment and a ride to get there.
- Keep fighting for everyone to have access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air and more.
How have you been affected by cancer?
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Cancer Society.
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