I have participated in a few
Susan G. Komen Foundation Races for the Cure and sponsored some friends in
cancer walks over the years. Now it is time
for me to step up the intensity in battling cancer. Due to my poor performance in Chemistry 301,
I feel that I would not have a successful future in practicing medicine or
working in a cancer research lab.
However, I still want to do the most with my time and money to help
those who understand science better than me to make advances in the field. The best way to do this is to support the
people who specialize in this, such as The American Cancer Society and the
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
All types of cancer are frightening and potentially life-threatening,
but one type in particular beckons to me for service: breast cancer. Since I am a woman and most of my best
friends are women, this disease terrifies me.
Breast cancer will affect about
212,920 women in the
The risk of death is going
down, but the physical havoc that a mastectomy can leave is devastating. People do not practice enough self-exams, and
are not aware of the importance of doing them.
A co-worker of mine once asked me about proper technique for the
detection of cancerous lumps. Then said
she was sure she could find any while bathing with a loofah sponge. This method will not work at all, and I let
her know that for her own sake and for all of the women in her life. Women are being diagnosed younger and younger
each year, so it is not just a disease that occurs after menopause as many may
think. The time to start thinking about
breast health is now.
This disease can cost a
person their life if the cancerous cells invade the lymph nodes in the nearby
armpit region. The cancer spreads via
the lymphatic system and creates inoperable tumors in vital organs such as the
brain, lungs, bones, and liver. This is
what happened to my maternal grandmother who died of breast cancer which had
spread into her bones. She was very
vigilant in her cancer treatments, but in the late 1970s, doctors did not know
as much and treatments were not as developed.
Then my mother was also diagnosed in 1990, but she was able to survive
because of the early detection and advances in medicine. It may sound selfish or narrow-minded to
devote myself to this one type of cancer since I may certainly suffer from
it. My goal “doesn’t have to meet any
else’s standards.”[iii] However, my sister, female cousins, aunts,
and even any woman without a family history could have it touch their
lives. I have known for a while that my
risk of developing breast cancer escalates each year. What is sadder for me though is to see my
younger sister become frightened at the prospect of her own increased
risk. It is true that “in others we see ourself.”[iv] She has cried and vowed to never have children,
things that I have done myself. Breast
cancer is 
potentially deadly,
physically disfiguring, and psychologically damaging.
Rather than simply buying
five pink rubber bracelets (Figure 1[v])
for myself and four friends, I wish to achieve more serious and devoted goals
in this arena. These funds do benefit
breast cancer research, but I want to make a more personal impact. The American Cancer Society runs a program
called “Look Good…Feel Better” that I recently learned about while perusing the
organizations and companies at the
As cancer patients undergo
chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the quality and quantity of their hair,
nails, and skin are compromised. This is
due to the chemotherapy and radiation treatments that attack all rapidly
dividing cells, not just cancer cells.
The total change in a woman’s body during this time can be utterly
depressing and often requires a prescription antidepressant and
counseling. Anything that improves a
woman’s self-esteem and boosts her mood will help her body battle the
cancer. Since this disease is so
personal, “we have no immediate knowledge of what other men feel, we can form
no idea of the manner in which they are affected, but by conceiving what we
ourselves should feel in the like situation.”[vi] Spending personal time with these individuals
benefits the patient and the caregiver.
Licensed cosmetologists
volunteer their time to “Look Good…Feel Better” to show patients how to care
for themselves during this time. 
styling hair began as a
young girl by putting my hair into a bun everyday for ballet class. Throughout high school, I fashioned “updo”
hairstyles for myself and friends for school dances like homecoming 
and prom.
Long hair is such an
identifying feature of a woman’s beauty in our society. At a young age, girls brush their dollies’
hair and want to grow theirs out to be long and beautiful. Although I was five years old at the time, I
can recall how miserable my mother was when losing her hair. Her wig was not the best quality, but wigs
have come a long way in the last sixteen years.
Dramatically and in a short amount of time, her body was stripped of
what made her feel feminine. The hair on
her head, her eyebrows, and eyelashes all disappeared, leaving a blank canvas.
I wish that she had been
able to have a nice, caring lady come out to our house and give her some beauty
attention. Any type of person-to-person
contact would have had a healing effect on her.
A fresh face and pretty hair gives everyone a boost. When cancer patients can visualize their
recovery and a return to their pre-cancer state, they can begin anew. This type of comfort answers the question,
“What is Spring?” It is “growth in every
thing.“[viii] It is growth in spirituality, in physical
health, and in a positive outlook.
Sometimes during cancer treatment, the immune system begins to fail as
in my mother’s case. This meant that she
could not be around anyone who could be harboring a large number of germs, such
as me, a new Kindergartener.
Another possible stretch goal
of mine would be to work for the American Cancer Society in another way. I would very much like to be able to feel as
though my efforts each day are helping others, rather than just having a job
that pays the bills. The reason I
consider this a stretch goal is because after speaking with their
representative at the career fair, it seems like their organization has a lot
of job applicants. I know that I would
be able to put my heart into my work, and I need to work on conveying that
fervor when I apply for employment with them next semester. To bolster my chances of landing a job there,
I could begin volunteering with them now so that they will be aware of my
passion ahead of time. “Authenticity is
key,” because I want to be able to “infuse the work with [my] own values and
experiences” and to have that show through in my work. [ix]
In the next fifteen or
twenty years, I will contribute to this cause in other ways. I will continue to donate money to the Susan
G. Komen Foundation. I know that my
parents donate a certain amount each year to the foundation, and I want to be
disciplined and do the same. Since I do
not have any full-time job prospects at this time or any idea of how much money
I will be making, I do not know what this amount will be. The mindset in which I will donate will be as
if I were tithing at church. It will be
a set amount, but not necessarily ten percent of my income as the word can
imply. The money will come out of my
paycheck first before I buy anything unnecessary. I may not be able to eat out as much as I
would like or buy the new shoes I want, but it is an investment in my future
and in the future of many women.
Also, I would like to do
more for the Race for the Cure events.
As I continue through my job search, I will contact the Komen Foundation
for information about how I can do this.
I might even want to work for them full-time instead of the American
Cancer Society. Either way, I want to
volunteer my time to help with the race events.
In each city, many vendors donate their products and set-up tents at the
end of the 
race path to refresh the
racers and to promote their products. At
the 
many cancer patients and survivors present at the event.
For example, there are now
numerous catalog companies that feature wigs and headwear for the time during
chemotherapy treatment. Registered
dieticians would be able to offer advice on foods to eat to keep energy levels
up while fighting cancer. I would like
to be able to help contact these groups and guarantee their attendance. Similarly, there are many products that bear
the pink breast cancer ribbon symbol.
However, a large number of them do not seem to lend themselves to a
healthier lifestyle such as large bags of M&Ms. The pink ribbon campaign needs to be extended
to a broader range of products that pertain more to breast cancer prevention
and/or treatment. Even a simple job such
as handling registration for the racers at malls and other locations would be
beneficial and fulfilling for me. I am
willing to do whatever it takes to help events like this gain publicity and run
smoothly.
All in all, my goal is to
help those going through the difficult times involved with battling cancer in
order to seek “life out of death.”[xi] People need to feel and know that they are
not alone. Family relationships can be
strained and marriages fall apart and that is where I want to step in, with the
human side of the medical care. I want
to be a friend to these women who are ill and make them feel loved. One day, you or I could be in their
position. I enjoy using my verbal and
written communications skills in any job that I have had. This passion could allow me in the future to
produce articles regarding cancer treatment and support or to work as a
telephone counselor at the American Cancer Society. Either way, I could lead these people through their time of hardship and struggle. I have never considered myself as a leader,
but in this way I can be one and make my mark.