Cancer has a way of changing the meaning of time. It turns ordinary days into moments you replay, and future plans into things you promise yourself you will appreciate more deeply. Over the past year, cancer has taken two dear friends. Watching their journeys was equal parts courage and heartbreak. Their absence is something I feel in everyday places. Losing them has forced me to confront how relentless cancer can be – not just for those diagnosed but for everyone who loves them.
It also showed me how much support matters. The research, treatments, and supporting services all exist because people before us chose to give, to fundraise, and to believe that progress was possible. Raising funds is one way to turn grief into action. It is how we honor those we’ve lost by fighting for those still here. This is for my friends, their families, and for the belief that one day fewer stories will end the way theirs did.