Curing Cancer Will Change the World
One of the world’s largest challenges is the search for a cure for cancer. The lives that cancer has destroyed are innumerable, 14.1 million cases were reported worldwide in 2012 alone, and unless we decide to do something about it there will be no cure. There are many different organizations dedicated to the funding and research of different types of cancer, including a non-profit organization called Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is dedicated to breast cancer research and support of the families that deal with it. However, breast cancer is not the only kind of cancer that destroys lives. It is not the cancer that killed Donna Hornik, who was only four years, two months, four weeks, and one day old.
Donna Quirke Hornik was an adorable, happy four year old who loved to perform her favorite songs for her mom and dad. Donna had been battling cancer for 31 months, more than half of her short life, when she passed away. No parent should have to struggle to explain to their child what death is, but that is the position that cancer put Donna’s parents in; as it does for every parent who has to watch their child suffer through this illness. Donna knew she was going to die, and she was brave about it. Her parents read her a book that taught her what she needed to know called Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Life and Death to Children, and one day on the way to school she asked her mom who they knew who had died. Donna worried that she would miss her mother and be sad and lonely after she died. Although Donna tried to understand death and wasn’t necessarily afraid of it, she did not know why this impending feeling was thrust upon her. She said to her mother not once but twice, “Why do I feel like I’m dying?” Donna’s story is one that far too many families can relate to, but there are organizations that are working towards an answer for these families, children and adults alike.
An example of an organization that is working towards a cure for cancer is Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which organizes events where all profits go towards cancer research. Susan G. Komen focuses primarily on breast cancer research, but any step in the right direction when it comes to cancer is a good one. Susan G. Komen organizes events called Komen 3-Days, where women and men raise money and then walk for 60 miles. They hold these in seven different cities around the United States, including Atlanta, the Twin Cities, San Diego, Dallas/Fort Worth, Michigan, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Susan G. Komen’s community grants also provide financial and social support to families impacted by breast cancer and is beginning to expand into international efforts. Susan G. Komen also organizes 5 kilometer Race for the Cure events all around the country. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is currently the world’s largest private funder of breast cancer research. They will continue their efforts until breast cancer is cured, and once one has been beaten the other types of cancer will not be far behind.
Cancer is something that cannot be ignored. We must eradicate cancer and in order to do that we need to support organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and support the families that have to battle cancer in their lives and who have lost family members to cancer. People like Donna, who whose lives was cut extremely short by cancer and whose loved ones will miss them forever. We must decide to take away the power that cancer has over us and our world, and the first step is doing everything we can to further the research that will someday cure it. The challenge for all of us is, are we going to do everything we can or are we going to watch as cancer destroys the lives of our friends and separates families?
Sources
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"Mary Tyler Mom." http://www.chicagonow.com/mary-tyler-mom/2011/10/
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"Non-Profit Breast Cancer Organization." ww5.komen.org. Susan G. Komen, n.d.
Web. 7 Mar. 2016.