American Cancer Society Celebrating 100 years and honoring caregivers

Today is the 100th anniversary of the American Cancer Society and they are determined to finish the fight against cancer. Sadly this is a fight that millions of people grapple with on a daily basis. In celebration of the anniversary, I would like to honor the often unsung heros in the fight against cancer, the caregivers. As I sat down to write this post, I struggled with identifying one person. As is often the case with cancer, especially in the black community, in many cases the cancer was identified late stage and the caregivers were there to make the patient comfortable and prepare for the worst.

In these instances, I’ve found that communities come together to pitch in and help. Some provide transportation to and from the hospital for treatment. Others prepare food. And there are those who simply provide a listening ear, frequent visits and conversations. All of these caregivers deserve to recognized and honored. However, these are the same people who look for no pat on the back for simply providing love and kindness to someone they love.

Today I ask that if you know a caregiver for someone who fought cancer, is fighting cancer or perhaps lost the fight that you give them a big hug and thank you. Watching a loved one go through this experience is difficult mentally, spiritually and physically. Today please honor those who have quietly led the charge in the battle without asking for anything in return. They deserve it!

My story is just one and this year, starting today, the American Cancer Society would like to collect 100 stories of caregivers. They want to shine a light on people who work so tirelessly to help loved ones through their cancer journey.  If you have a story you would like to share, please click here.