Shauna Wears Pink

I will never forget the day my doctor uttered those horrifying words “I am sorry to tell you, but that is a cancer tumor that you have in your left breast”. I was 33 years old, and my life changed forever. I invite you to read my story, learn from it and hopefully be inspired to reach out to other young women living with and beyond breast cancer.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Vote “Yes” to End Cancer

Next Tuesday, November 6th Texans are voting on a historic amendment to the constitution of Texas which could put and end to cancer in our lifetime. Did you know that this year alone, more than 95,000 Texans will be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 37,000 Texans will lose their lives to the disease? Nearly 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in Texas will develop cancer during their lifetime, and cancer costs Texans $30 billion a year in direct and indirect costs. Proposition 15 is a constitutional amendment which, if passed, will authorize up to $3 billion in state general revenue bonds to fund cancer research, prevention, early detection and control programs. Prop 15, if passed, will also establish the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas which will conduct research to prevent or cure cancer, support existing cancer research efforts in Texas, and implement the Texas Cancer Plan, a statewide blueprint for cancer prevention and control.

I know what you are saying, “Shouldn’t the federal government be taking this type of action?” Yes, it should, but for the last few years the federal government has instead cut millions of dollars from the budget previously allocated to research for finding cures for cancer. So, Lance Armstrong and other prominent cancer survivors in Texas have decided to take matters into their own hands to build a research facility in Texas with the stated goal of “Finding a Cure for Cancer In our Lifetime”.

Most of you already know my story, but I will take a few minutes to recap and explain why this Proposition is so important for all of us. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 and my sister at the age of 31. Prior to our cancer diagnosis, no one in our family had ever had cancer……no parents, no grandparents, not even any aunts and uncles. Also, my sister and I have none of the risk factors for breast cancer. So what caused us to both to get cancer at such a young age? No one knows. There has simply not been enough research to clearly identify anything more than a few sketchy risk factors. My sister and I are not alone. Incidents of cancer keep increasing at an alarming rate, especially in younger individuals who where previously thought to be more immune to cancer. I don’t know about you, but I want to find out what on earth we are doing to give ourselves cancer. And, if my cancer should return, I want to make sure that drugs exist which can cure my cancer. And most importantly I want this all to happen in my lifetime. I do not want my 3 year old son to be at the same risk for cancer that I am! And if God forbid my son ever does get cancer, I want to make sure that drugs exist that can cure him.

So I urge you all to vote “yes” to Proposition 15. If not for yourself, then do it for your children. We have to end cancer now so that our children will have a future.

Please pass this along to anyone in Texas registered to vote and please, please get out and vote on November 6th.