World Cancer Day!

Today, February 4, is World Cancer Day. It’s a day shared around the globe as we honor the strength and resilience in both children’s and adults’ lives affected by cancer, along with their families and friends who stand by their loved ones as best as humanly possible. Let’s face it, cancer is not easy for anyone going through treatment, young or old(er), as it typically affects the body, mind, and soul, more than is imaginable.

I was talking to my sister about this marked day in raising awareness of cancer of every color and stripe, to encourage prevention, along with pain management. When I think back on our son’s long journey of childhood and adult cancers, what comes to mind immediately is how the doctors (Dr. Aziza Shad) emphatically helped manage Ryan’s pain on many levels. It was a game-changer in how it needed to happen for him to heal through the hellish rounds of chemo and more. That’s saying something because I had a front row seat on how this kid rallied through tremendous bouts of the ugliness of cancer (and sometimes debilitating pain), yet found incredible fortitude and the will to live around every corner despite his young age at original diagnosis - 2 years old!

If there is any ‘best’ to our collective journey, it goes to the people we met along the way, including the articulate medical staff, caring nurses, informative social workers, art therapy, neighbors, friends, families, and our neighborhood community. Even more special were the organizations that saved our family’s soul: Special Love, Inc., with camps, family weekends, and respite opportunities throughout the year.

If you know someone going through cancer treatment, give them a call or text, send a handwritten card, make a meal (when local), and keep them close to your heart with a prayer or by sending positive thoughts. I/we can attest to all of the above based on our nearly three decades of experience, which have strengthened our agency and our resolve to keep going, no matter the day.

According to one site on this topic, WCD is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness about cancer, promote early detection and prevention, and advocate for equitable access to life-saving treatment and care, uniting people to reduce the illness and death caused by the disease. It originated in 2000 at the first World Summit Against Cancer, which was held in Paris, France.

Keep the Focus

Keep the Fight

Keep the Faith

World Cancer Day 2026!

bSoleielle!

Terri

Ryan (age 10) in 2004 out on a walk, doing PT at Georgetown University Hospital