Philanthropy: Relay for Life

Dear friends, family, sisters and fellow cancer research supporters,

My personal journey began on March 3rd 2003, when I was informed that I, at the mere age of 16…had cancer. The very next day my world was turned upside down with the reality of chemo treatments, hospital stays, losing my hair, giving up the sport that I loved, numerous spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, and all the physical and emotional tolls that being a teen with cancer would plague me with….. in addition to the reality that there were no guarantees and my chances of survival were 50/50.

My doctors & nurses, fellow patients & volunteers, family & friends, all made sure that I received unwavering support throughout the 2 years and 8 months of chemo that I had to endure. To this day I know that I would not have survived this grueling disease had it not been for the endless support and love that I received from my sisters, in addition to my attempts to continually think positively and hold fast to my faith.

Cancer is something that can squash spirits, end a dream, deliver despair and fuel fear…..however, it is also something that can instill hope, drive determination, create courage and strengthen a family, community, and a sisterhood. 1 in every 3 people will have to battle this awful disease sometime in their lifetime. It has been the scariest thing that I have ever been asked to encounter during my 20 years here on Earth and I spent one seventh of my life fighting it with every ounce of my being. There is no way to even convey the effects that this disease can take on your mind, body and soul. A “normal” life isn’t even fathomable because things that seemed so routine, so repetitive and so easy before become difficult…things like eating, drinking, talking, using the bathroom, walking, all require intense thought and planning. Your whole body hurts and there is nothing you can do to make it stop, sleep is the one sweet release in which the pain becomes tolerable. Your emotions are taken on a rollercoaster ride, of good days and bad ones, with encouraging results, and uncertain outcomes, medicines that work and drugs that don’t. Fear can creep up on you when you least expect it, and summoning courage and determination becomes the mountain you must climb everyday upon waking. No one can comprehend except those who have walked the path too, and as patients and survivors we draw on each other for strength and understanding. The road to being cured is a long one and not everyone makes it….but whether we are cured or not we are all still survivors, because we LIVESTRONG.

As a community of family and friends, patients and care-givers, we have a responsibility to each other to do everything in our power to keep this dreadful disease from taking those we love. The future of cancer research is in our hands. The fate of our friends and those we love rests on our abilities to find a cure before it’s too late. National funding and federal grants for cancer research have decreased significantly in the years past, despite the fact that we are experiencing the same number of deaths as 9-11 every 2 days due to cancer. We need to step up as a community and show support to those who have to experience such painful times and let them know that they are not alone and that there are people who care and who want to make cancer HISTORY.

I can think of 12 close friends of mine under the age of 21 who have died in the last 2 years. Losing those we love is a constant reminder that “life isn’t fair”, and that is something we must deal with everyday. Please think about your daily lives and the things your often complain about and even take for granted….in the end these things won’t matter, but what will is what you did during your life on this earth to get involved and make a difference. Please take advantage of this amazing opportunity that the American Cancer Society has provided for us. It is so important that we work together as a community to support the patients, friends, families and survivors of this terrible disease. Together with strength and determination, hard work and courage, faith and understanding we can all make this world a better place, and finding a cure for cancer is the first step in the right direction. Thank you all and God bless.

Your sister in Chi Omega,
Jennifer L. Wallace

“What I do you cannot do, but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great and none of us including me ever do great things. But we can do small things with great love and together we can do something wonderful”
-Mother Teresa

“Do little bits of good where you are, it’s those little bits of good put together that will overwhelm the world”
–Desmond Tutu