| Caring for people we love can be somewhat | | | | alone". She has a really neat husband and five |
| trying at times. Caring for victims of cancer can | | | | children. Patty told me one day that she felt so |
| be gut wrenching and heartbreaking. Cancer is a | | | | sorry for her kids. That's a mother's heart and a |
| word that brings up all sorts of feelings and | | | | mother's love. |
| emotions such as sadness, heartache and pain. | | | | My friend Colleen lost her mother to cancer. I've |
| Thoughts of deterioration and desperation come | | | | been with Colleen on holidays and could tell she |
| to mind. I don't know one person that has not | | | | was missing her mother. They were like best |
| been affected by it whether you yourself are the | | | | friends. Holidays are the hardest times when |
| victim or someone you know and love. One thing | | | | you're missing a loved one. We want them right |
| I know for sure, we all need to care about | | | | beside us. Colleen often decorates her mother's |
| victims of cancer. Caring is one of the most | | | | grave for different holidays. Her mother is buried |
| beautiful gifts that God has ever given us. When I | | | | in the same cemetery as my boys and I've often |
| think of the word "caring" I feel love, security, | | | | been surprised by beautiful crosses and flowers |
| friendship, kindness and concern. | | | | on my boys graves from Colleen. |
| My first heartache that cancer caused was losing | | | | If cancer were a person I would call him Lucifer, |
| my loving aunt. Aunt Wanda was an inspiration to | | | | Satan and Devil. I'd punch him in the face. All's we |
| everyone who came in contact with her. The loss | | | | know is its name and we need to fight back. Let's |
| was so severe. I was overwhelmed with grief. | | | | kick cancer in the teeth. |
| She had the gift of hospitality. She made all of the | | | | Everyone has heard of "The American Cancer |
| nieces and nephews feel as though they were the | | | | Society". Every year in almost every city across |
| most special children in the world. Her own four | | | | America volunteers come together for a |
| children adored her. Her husband treated her like | | | | weekend and put on "Relay For Life". It's made up |
| she was the queen of their castle. I had the | | | | of teams that raise money for cancer research. |
| hardest time understanding how this horrible | | | | After Patty was diagnosed I joined a team here |
| disease could kill such a wonderful person. Aunt | | | | in our little city, Lincoln, California. I joined my |
| Wanda wasn't a materialistic person in the least. | | | | friend Diana's team, "The Ya Ya's". I watched my |
| She ran a lot of the women's fellowships at | | | | friend suffer and I wanted to make a difference. |
| church and fervently prayed for others. | | | | I had lost two of my children and I wanted to |
| That's when I learned that cancer is no respecter | | | | use the pain I always feel and turn it into a |
| of persons. I hate the very sound of the name. | | | | positive and help others. Just like I did when I |
| Shouldn't it only attack evil people? If that were | | | | started this web site. |
| true most of us would be so much happier. | | | | At our "Relay For Life" we set up our booths |
| After losing Aunt Wanda my other Aunt Wanda | | | | clear around our high school football field. We all |
| was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to | | | | decorate our spaces with a theme that our |
| have a radical mastectomy. She is now a | | | | teams vote on. The community comes together |
| survivor. I remember her anger against the | | | | to help. We have someone at all times walking |
| disease and how it affected her losing both her | | | | the track for 24 hours. Each volunteer signs up to |
| breasts. She felt that the disease had stolen part | | | | walk an hour or two. The first hour is the |
| of her womanhood. | | | | "Survivors" walk. Diana and Patty walk in this walk. |
| She also was so good with children and even had | | | | It was only a week later that Patty had to have |
| several foster children. Didn't cancer know that | | | | her kidney removed. I believe she'll march on. We |
| she gave children homes when they didn't have | | | | all collect pledges. Our little city raises over a |
| one? I cried many tears for her. | | | | hundred thousand dollars every year. If you want |
| After that the disease struck my Aunt Inez. She | | | | to make a difference in your city you can get all |
| had already lost 13 family members within two | | | | the information you need at relayforlife.org. Let's |
| years. Again we ask why? Shouldn't we who lost | | | | not let the deaths caused by cancer be in vain. |
| family members be exempt from this terrible | | | | Let's make a difference. Some of our friends and |
| disease? I'm glad to say that today Aunt Inez is | | | | family we will have to say "until we meet again" |
| also a survivor. | | | | and others will live on. But one thing is for sure; |
| After I lost my sons Gabriel and Josiah I wanted | | | | we will all end up together in the end. God has |
| to do more to help others. I'd taken in many kids | | | | made it so. Just believe that Jesus died on the |
| through the years and volunteered for many a | | | | cross for you. Don't let Jesus death be in vain. |
| good cause, but I now wanted to use my pain to | | | | One awesome way that we raised money at our |
| make a difference. I was seeing all this pain and | | | | "Relay For Life" is to sell luminary bags. They're |
| suffering before my eyes. What would God have | | | | lunch bag size and you put sand in the bottom to |
| in store for me? | | | | hold a votive candle. The person who buys the |
| My friend Diana was struck with the disease | | | | bag can write anything they want to say about a |
| before the boys died and she had to have a | | | | loved one. There were several memorial bags and |
| radical mastectomy. I watched how she grew | | | | bags with encouraging messages for people still |
| closer to God and grew dependent on him. Then | | | | fighting the disease. I like to light one in memory |
| when I lost my sons she in turn was such a | | | | of my sons because I know they would be so |
| positive influence on me. Diana now is a survivor. | | | | proud of me using my pain to help others. We |
| I know we all wonder why some survive and | | | | sold enough to go around the whole football field |
| others don't. I don't have that answer. I lost two | | | | and then to write the word "Remember" on the |
| sons that were so loving and giving and would | | | | bleachers. When it's dark all the candles are lit and |
| help anyone. Why? I don't know. Some of us get | | | | it's so amazing. |
| to go early (darn it). We live in a world that is not | | | | Remember when I said that cancer is no |
| eternal. It is full of sickness and disease. Car | | | | respecter of persons? You can surely see this |
| accidents and murders are on the news daily. | | | | when you see a child struggle with this disease. |
| There are also natural consequences in this life. If | | | | Our pastor's young son has gone through a |
| you run in front of a car, you'll get ran over. I | | | | sickness that has torn at the heart of his parents. |
| know I can't be a hypocrite. I always taught my | | | | Pastor Nathan walked along side his son Isaiah as |
| kids "Earth is our school and Heaven is our home. | | | | he walked in the "Survivors" walk. The pastor has |
| We're only passing through". It just hurts so bad | | | | a blog for his son and keeps friends, family and |
| to be left behind here without our loved ones. | | | | church members updated on his progress. I knew |
| My friend Patty was struck with cancer after I | | | | Pastor Nate could understand some of the severe |
| lost the boys. Josiah spent a lot of time at Patty's | | | | grief I live with on a daily bases after seeing his |
| house. All my kids are friends with all her kids and | | | | own son near deaths door. Isaiah has curls all over |
| their cousins. Patty cried many tears for the boys | | | | his head like his daddy's. When he lost all his curls |
| and I knew her heart hurt for my broken heart. | | | | due to cancer treatment, pastor Nate shaved his |
| Her first diagnosis was with lung cancer. Then it | | | | head so Isaiah could still look like daddy. A few |
| went to her brain. They took the tumor out and | | | | men in the church also shaved their heads for |
| it grew back within a month. She had to have | | | | Isaiah. How cool is that? |
| another surgery. Then finally she was cancer free. | | | | I use to say that when I got to Heaven I was |
| I cried tears of joy. She was here to see her | | | | going to ask God why did Gabriel and Josiah have |
| oldest daughter Sarah get married. | | | | to leave me. Now I say that I'll be so happy to |
| Now months later they found cancer in her | | | | see them and all the loved ones that have gone |
| kidney. She had to have her kidney removed. I | | | | on before that I'll forget the whys. Remember to |
| hate it. I want to scream "cancer, leave my friend | | | | "Let Go And Let God". |