“Cancer first reared its ugly head in my life around 70 years ago. I was just a kid when my father was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He was only 38, a pastor, and the father of five children, who were mystified by this disease that we’d never heard of.
Back in the 1950s, the main options for cancer treatment were major surgery and relatively unsophisticated radiotherapy, but only as long as the disease was detected in time for such drastic measures.
So Dad had surgery – and came home from hospital with a colostomy bag that collected his waste for the rest of his life. Fortunately for him, and for his loving family and friends, the rest of his life was exactly the same length as his pre-cancer life – 38 years. In the end, it was a stroke, not cancer, that got him.
He was one of the lucky ones. Just like I was half a century later, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, had robotic surgery and can confidently say I’ve beaten the devil after 15 years in remission.
As I’ve become older, the incidence of cancer among my nearest and dearest seems to have accelerated. Most of these people have died. But nearly all of them, except for my exceptional and odds-defying Dad, had one thing in common: they were diagnosed in their 50s or 60s.
What makes cancer particularly tragic and distressing is when it strikes children, from toddlers to teenagers. It seems like every day that I read or hear about another case. I can’t begin to imagine what these kids and their families and friends are going through, and will continue to endure.
But one of the brightest lights shining through their darkness is Canteen. I’ve been a supporter and regular donor since 2008 and am continually amazed and inspired by the stories I read in CanDo newsletters. It’s not just the programs and services Canteen provides for young people stricken by cancer, but the ripple effect of physical and emotional support for the other people affected, such as those devastated by the loss of a parent.
Mike and his wife Bunty
I’ll be there for Canteen as long as I’m around. I’ll also be there after I’m no longer around – through a bequest in my Will. Please consider doing the same; your generosity will keep echoing long after you’re gone.”
– Mike, who has been a CanDo Family member for 17 years
Huge thanks to Mike for sharing his story with us and for being such an important part of the CanDo Family.
To share your own CanDo Family story and why you choose to support young people facing cancer, please email us at [email protected]
We’d love to hear from you too!