Dedicated to all of those who have been affected by cancer.
Continue watching over us Uncle Rob, we love and miss you.
Dear cancer,
I could write this letter in a short two syllable, two word phrase: you suck. However, you are not getting off that easy. You do not deserve easy.
If you were a person, you would be the bully that mothers warn their kids about. You would be the lonely old man who yells at children to get off your lawn. You would be the boss your employees fear. You would be the most hated human on the planet. Instead, you are a disease. A disease that not only affects the person who has you, but everyone who loves and cares for them. You are the most hated disease this world has come to know.
The amount of new cancer cases in 2015 are estimated to be 1,658,370 in the United States alone. Out of the million people last year who became apart of the cancer statistics, 589,430 of them died. With these kinds of numbers, it is no surprise that in a lifetime, the majority of the human population will be affected by you in some form.
Eight years ago my uncle was diagnosed with brain cancer. He lost the battle in August of 2015. He leaves behind a daughter, wife, and loving family. Two years ago my Nonna was given the news she had melanoma in her leg. Thankfully, it did not spread and was able to be removed. She is now free of you, but continues to get checked to make sure you do not make another appearance. Last year my grandmother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and is currently fighting for her life. She continues to attack each day with perseverance. This year my aunt was given the news she had stage three breast cancer and is also undergoing the fight. Like all cancer patients, she too refuses to accept defeat. You have come into their lives uninvited and remain unwanted.
In your efforts to take away the livelihood of your sufferers, you do quite the opposite. The people who have cancer are the strongest, most positive people I know. They fight back with courage. They fight back with determination to defeat you. You may overcome their body, but you do not overcome their mind. You do not define who they are.
You do not have the right to take away a person's father, mother, child, friend, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, or grandparent. You deserve to feel the pain you bring upon your victims and their families. You deserve to get cancer and die.
One day there will be a cure. One day you will not control lives. One day you will no longer be the cause of death of a child or parent. One day you will be a distant memory of a nightmare that plagued the world. But, until then, we will continue to fight. We will relentlessly work together to put an end to you once and for all.
You are not human. You do not have feelings, a mind, or a heart. You do not understand the harm you bring upon families. You will never read this letter. It is merely a way to declaim your detriment. Nevertheless, I'd like to think if you were human, even you would understand the immoral behavior of your purpose.
One day I hope to say a cure has been found. One day I hope there will be no more hardship endured because of you. One day this misery will be over.
Until "one day,"
A very passionate advocate of putting an end to cancer.
