beLIVe's Fundraising Page

As a great cancer hero, they wear a long flowing cape in the form of IV lines and hospital gowns. They swing your sword laced with the magic of relentless courage. They don a smirk and a deep-stomached chuckle as your impenetrable knight armor. When they come up on the uphill climb what lays at their feet in hinderance are the past failed treatments, lengthy appointments, and missed time. The cargo bag balancing on their back is weighed by the pressure to get better, do better, be better. In the morning the battle doesn’t start because it’s never ending.  

As a great cancer hero, they wear a long flowing cape in the form of IV lines and hospital gowns. They swing your sword laced with the magic of relentless courage. They don a smirk and a deep-stomached chuckle as your impenetrable knight armor. When they come up on the uphill climb what lies at their feet in hindrance are the past failed treatments, lengthy appointments, and missed time. The cargo bag balancing on their back is weighed by the pressure to get better, do better, and be better. In the morning the battle doesn’t start because it’s never ending.  

But then, the unthinkable happens—the hero trips upon all the hurdles. 

And the worst possible outcome happens: the hero dies.  

So, they “lost” the battle with cancer. After countless weeks, months, and years of fighting a disease that consumes their body, the hero finally succumbs. All the people who wore the shirts and paraded around shouting their names telling them to fight, dress in black, and never utter the word “cancer” again. Suddenly, after being called great heroic names—survivor, warrior— they become victims. A victim of the cancer like so many other people.  

The “battle” is done. And cancer won.  

But the warrior is still the same. They are still the people who were the inspiration moments prior. They are still the people who fought every battle thrown at them valiantly. But now there is a change, now it’s our time to fight their battle.  

The heroes did all they could. They kept the hope. They kept trying. They kept praying. They didn’t “let” cancer come to them, science and medicine failed them.  

Turning a blind eye to the cancer fight only undermines the warrior’s journey. They fought tooth and nail through all the symptoms, appointments, and disappointments. We need to take up and continue that battle because what the hero needed was a status of medicine that is not currently here. Through research and awareness, there will be fewer hurdles threatening to take cancer patients down. The war against cancer is not finished yet, and for all the soldiers lost on the battlefield, we must fight for them. So that all their hard work and effort can go towards something better for this world. We must continue the battle for them, with them, and alongside them.  

Therefore, we’ll never forget that warriors never die.  

And that way we, too, can say, “I never stopped fighting for you.”