writings

“My Voice” by Jill Harrison

"My Voice" by Jill Harrison

I was 21 and a junior in college when I joined the cancer survivor club – diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor in my upper right lung on December, 26th 2003, the day after Christmas.  I went from never being in a hospital since the day of my birth to living in hospitals with countless procedures […]


“My Voice” by Jamie Lynn McClelland

"My Voice" by Jamie Lynn McClelland

My story begins in 1982, when I was 6 years old. That is when I lost my mother to Colon Cancer. In 1982, there was no talk of Colon Cancer being hereditary. Fast forward 18 years. In January 2000 I consulted with my primary care physician about the loose stool I had been having. He […]


“My Voice” by Alexandra Robertson

"My Voice" by Alexandra Robertson

Last year in February after three years of being ill, I began to feel extremely tired, and just feeling run down, so I sought medical advice. The Doctor decided to take a blood test, but when the results came back, they indicated that I was low on oestrogen. Due to my age 49 at the […]


“My Voice” by Janis Fitzgerald

"My Voice" by Janis Fitzgerald

At the height of a promising career, two lovely twin boys, a happy marriage and lovely new dream home I was diagnosed with Stage IIIC Breast Cancer at the age of 40. I had always thought I lead the ‘good’ life to lower my risk. I practiced everything the advocates told me to.  I prayed […]


“My Voice” by Mike Tufo

"My Voice" by Mike Tufo

OUR STORY – BY “THE” MIKE TUFO  (SYNOVIAL SARCOMA) I’d love nothing more than to claim this story as my own, however it doesn’t belong to just me.  This story includes my wife, Dianne and my children, who have been on this ride with me. It began in October 2007, while playing with my four […]


“My Voice” by Marcia Hahnfeld Deitrick

"My Voice" by Marcia Hahnfeld Deitrick

I began surviving breast cancer the day I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, on September 17, 2007.   In the past 22 months, I have underwent seven surgeries, four rounds of chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and endured multiple treatment related complications and side effects. A month after I turned 40, I found a lump in my […]


“My Voice” by Kimberly Hicks

"My Voice" by Kimberly Hicks

“You have an 80% chance of dying and we’re going to amputate your leg.” This was what I heard the first time I had cancer, at the age of 15. The last time I was diagnosed, I was told to “tie up loose ends and live for the short term”. My mother got upset when […]


“My Voice” by Beth Silverman

"My Voice" by Beth Silverman

I’ve been surviving ever since I was a little girl, although I really never put a name on what I was doing. Life didn’t always deal me a fair hand of cards, but at an early age I knew I only played to win, regardless of what was at stake. My parents divorced when I […]


“My Voice” by Dara Barr

"My Voice" by Dara Barr

Truth be told I believe I have always been a survivor.  We all have.  In my mind, however, not everyone has been put to the challenge the way a cancer survivor has. It wasn’t until I turned 40 years old that this was really put to the test. When I turned 40 years old, at […]


“My Voice” by Sarah Burkybile

"My Voice" by Sarah Burkybile

My journey starts a little before my diagnosis. On January 10th, 2007 my older brother was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. We rushed him to a hospital four hours away from our home town to be able to get the care he needed. He was in critical care for many of months and his only […]


“My Voice” by Keith Kohn

"My Voice" by Keith Kohn

I started this bumpy ride a bit more than two years ago when I was 47 years old, and it has helped shape who I am today at 49. In a good way. No, being diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus – one of the fastest-growing forms of the disease – was not a good […]


“My Voice” by Miguel Jacobo

"My Voice" by Miguel Jacobo

My side of the story… My name is Miguel Jacobo and my journey begins when I was 22 years old. I had just moved back to my dad’s house from taking a “year off” in Las Vegas, where I was staying with my mom. I had moved back in October and by March my dad […]


“My Voice” by Kim Manson

"My Voice" by Kim Manson

I am Kim and I am 34 years old My partner – soon to be husband – of 13 years is Bryan. My sons are Daniel (6), Will (5) and my daughter Emma is 17 months. I have a little sister, a mum, a dad and a little brother. And we have melanoma. I say […]


“My Voice” by Rebecca MacKenzie

"My Voice" by Rebecca MacKenzie

I once read a quote from A.A. Milne.  Christopher Robin says to Pooh, “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” The quote is so simply put, and is easy to dismiss; however, its sums up my cancer experience. People always ask me:  […]


“My Voice” by Glenda Standeven

"My Voice" by Glenda Standeven

It was March, 1987. The doctor’s mouth was moving but I’d stopped hearing the moment he said the word cancer. I was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed trying to listen to a doctor who couldn’t meet my gaze as he explained how the needle biopsy results indicated the tumour in the ball […]


“My Voice” by Jodie Kline

"My Voice" by Jodie Kline

One thing I have learned as I have grown older is that everyone has a story about something that has impacted their life dramatically. This is mine. Five and a half years ago, at the age of 37 I thought I was invincible. I was single, active and had a successful business career. I traveled, […]


“My Voice” by Kelvin Lynch

"My Voice" by Kelvin Lynch

My tumor first made its appearance when I was 25 years old. I was living in Atlanta, I was working at a hospital, and I was having the time of my life.  Suddenly, over the course of a few weeks, I started having sharp shooting pains down my right arm and noticed a lump in […]


“My Voice” by Lisa Januzzi Gaskin

"My Voice" by Lisa Januzzi Gaskin

In July 2001, I was 34 years old, had been married 11 years and I got pregnant by accident.  I say “by accident” because we were “waiting to be financially secure”.  I now realize unless you hit the lottery you are never really financially secure! So here I was, newly pregnant, planning my future and […]


“My Voice” by Laurey Masterton

"My Voice" by Laurey Masterton

Laurey Bikes – a bit of my story For starters it is important to say I am a 21 year ovarian cancer survivor.  And a 30 year uterine cancer survivor.  I just turned 55 and feel as healthy and vibrant as I ever have.  Life is a good thing. Last year, when I was 54 […]


“My Voice” by David Dorfman

"My Voice" by David Dorfman

The Crash Christmas chemo rescheduling put me next to Erica, a ginger-haired angelic-looking patient about my age, She was more vibrant than the other patients waiting for treatment.  When I asked about this, she revealed her secret: a triathlon team.  Soon, falling flat on my face would be the best evidence that I was surviving […]


“My Voice” by Marisa Mir

"My Voice" by Marisa Mir

Jeez, where do I begin?  I could start by going back to July 17, 2002, when I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but my story really begins in 1972 when I was just a fetus growing in my mother’s belly.  As my body was forming, everything was coming along nicely…except for one thing.  My intestines […]


“My Voice” by Trish Lannon

"My Voice" by Trish Lannon

“Oh, The Places You Will Go!”  My Journey with Cancer “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” ~Dr. Seuss For as […]


“My Voice” by Daniel Braun

"My Voice" by Daniel Braun

April 16th, 2001…the day that changed my life. It was an early Sunday morning and I was on my way to work. I noticed a small lump on my neck. I didn’t think anything of it. I went along with my day, but the lump kept getting bigger. By days end, I had a lump […]


“My Voice” by Cheryl Molle’

"My Voice" by Cheryl Molle'

My life is a blessing, and I am lucky enough to realize it. Most people go through life not knowing how fragile life is, they don’t know what a gift they have been given, until it is almost taken away. I have always known my life is a gift. My name is Cheryl Molle’, I […]