LEANN BURKE / THE DEPAUW
This summer, junior Maria Ngyuen and I will be embarking on a 4,000+ mile cross-country journey from Baltimore, MD to San Diego, CA in an effort to aid the fight against cancer. The ride is put on by the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adult's. We are going on one of six separate trips: San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Baltimore, New York. We and our fellow riders will spread awareness, unite communities, and instill much-needed hope in the lives of suffering individuals through our efforts.
Throughout the course of the ride, we will stop in at local cancer centers to interact with cancer patients and visit nearby hospitals. We will educate them about our program and the mission we have to eradicate the perils of cancer. Each day of riding will be dedicated to a person who has personally battled or been impacted by cancer. Their name will be written on our calves, and the riders will dedicate every moment as an honorary gesture to that individual and the unbearable suffering they have potentially experienced.
Cancer has played a powerful role in my life for as far back as I can remember. Both sets of my grandparents have suffered with various types of cancers, and two of them have passed away: one before I was born and one during my lifetime. In addition, countless members of my extended family have endured bouts with cancer, many of whom still currently are, and still others who have lost a valiant battle with it.
Yet, this evidence still does not do justice to the role that cancer has played in my life. I spent several nights across a span of months visiting my grandparents in the hospital. My mother was even forced to stay with her mother to properly care for her when she couldn't do so herself. This significantly detracted from the time my brother and I got to spend with her growing up. Cancer consumed so much of my time and energy as a child that I was completely oblivious until, in hindsight, I realized the emotional attachment that I had to the situation. Needless to say, cancer has made an indelible mark on my life.
Cancer has taught me several life lessons that I will carry with me forever. I want nothing more than to alleviate the suffering that goes along with this learning process in hopes that the well-being of individuals who encounter such a powerful force as cancer is protected. I believe the best way to provide positive and unwavering support to someone is to show them that you are willing to suffer for them, both physically and emotionally.
It’s one thing to say that you support them in a sympathetic manner, but it is another thing to demonstrate that support through proactive measures that illustrate empathy. It may be the most vital action you can take for the sake of another individual, or it may have a rather trivial impact on their lives. However, the point is that an indisputable impact has been made. The individual has experienced an increase in positivity or optimism, and this may suffice in creating a cascade of positive consequences. In essence, my goal with this ride is to ensure that some degree of difference is made in at least one individual's life. I aspire to establish a sense of hope and unconditional support that remains forever steadfast.