Fight against cancer always deserves support
The annual Astro Auction, taking place today and the rest of this week at Caney Fork’s auditorium, is another example of Warren countians volunteering, reaching out, and helping their neighbors in need.
Life is filled with constant obstacles. It centers around problems and overcoming adversity. That’s why supporting the Astro Auction, and the annual cancer drive, is such a worthwhile project.
In the words of Astro Auction volunteer Bettye Haston, she said, “Don’t make a donation for me. Make a donation for yourself. You never know when this cancer research could be for you.”
The fact any one of us could some day be diagnosed with cancer makes finding a cure a responsibility for not only our community and our country, but a responsibility with a world-wide impact.
While this would be a monumental task for one person or one community, it lessens the burden if we all help. Almost every one of us can afford to make a small contribution before the auction ends Friday. Every little bit helps as researchers continue their battle to find a cure.
Most of us know someone who has won a battle against cancer. Some of us, sadly, also know people who have lost that fight.
The battle against cancer has been filled with heartbreak, but there are also reasons for hope. There are small triumphs and there are setbacks.
While there are many local heroes who have defeated cancer, there’s no one who epitomizes overcoming adversity more than American cyclist Lance Armstrong, who recently won his fifth straight Tour de France.
In 1996, Armstrong was given the grim news that testicular cancer had spread to both his brain and his lungs. Fighting back through chemotherapy and given less than a 50 percent chance of survival, Armstrong beat the deadly disease.
Armstrong is a high-profile example of a person who has overcome cancer and achieved his dreams. But he is by no means alone.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 29,100 Tennesseans and 1.2 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer in 2002. Since 1990, over 16 million new cases have been diagnosed.
This year, over half a million Americans are expected to die from cancer. That’s 1,500 people a day.
Thankfully, gradual progress is being made in finding a cure for cancer. Early detection, combined with advanced technology, is helping more and more cancer victims achieve survival.
Combined with local fund-raisers such as this week’s Astro Auction and the highly successful Relay for Life in June, Warren County is doing its part to win this war. That’s something in which we should all be proud.