January, 18th 2025: Join us for food, drinks, dancing, and author sharing — all to support our mission. Learn more here!
Dear Cancer
Each year we ask the AYA cancer community to submit letters to cancer to express their feelings about how cancer has changed their lives. People explore an array of emotions in these letters, including anger, sadness, gratitude, and hope.
Want to submit an article or write your own letter to cancer? Click Here.
Be Blessed or Be Broken
Such the paradox, dear cancer. You destroy and you heal. You take lives, and you save them. You are fear, and you are love. You are death. You are life. You bring joy and so incredibly much pain.
Read More...Beauty Born from Heartache
Hey Cancer, I stayed up last night, thinking of you. Don’t tell. It’d be awkward if people knew. I have a scan in a few months. And, as I thought of you, I visualized my PET results. All healthy and white with the lack of you. It felt … empty. I felt empty. So, in […]
Read More...You Made Me a Stronger Better Person
Dear Cancer, You might think I’m mad. You did push your way into my life without warning. You did turn my life upside down at 28 years old. I wasn’t supposed to be going to chemo treatments and radiation treatments and undergoing a ridiculous amount of surgery…not at 28. I was supposed to be hanging […]
Read More...Thank you for Showing Me How I was Squandering My Life
While most people say you’re a terrible thing, I don’t always agree. Sure, you took a lot from me, including time, money, my sense of security, and my left testicle, but you also taught me a lot. Wondering if I was going to die at 25 really forced me to take a good, hard look at my life.
Read More...Our Relationship is Over
You came into my life when I was just finding myself. I was in the prime of my life — nineteen years old — only to find out I was born with a deadly and rare form of pediatric cancer called Neuroblastoma and you only decided to make your presence known at the peak of my adolescence.
Read More...This is My Life! I Own It!
This is MY LIFE! I OWN IT! To all in the cancer community, we are WARRIORS, and we are a family of WARRIORS!
Read More...Hateful and Thankful
Today I told a coworker I don’t cry when I’m sad, only when I’m angry. And as I write this, I’m crying so many angry tears at you. I hate you with all of my being. You ruined the life I had, all my dreams, aspirations, friends, and so much more.
Read More...My Brother Changed My Life Forever
When we decided to launch this ‘Dear Cancer’ campaign I never thought it would turn out the way it did. Frankly, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. What we found out is not one cancer diagnosis is the same as another.
Read More...Who Is Really to Blame?
A few weeks ago my son Steven was diagnosed with cancer, again. And not just one cancer, but two. Learning of his diagnosis took my breath away. Not again!!!
Read More...The Best App for Remembering What Your Doctor Said
My roommates marveled over my organizational prowess and my notes were the basis of the study guide we used to prepare for finals. However, I quickly learned that I was woefully unprepared for cancer.
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