Cancer's Many Victims

Over the past few weeks I've seen more about cancer than usual. I'm not sure why. I found out my cousin in California has early stages of breast cancer and she's starting radiation treatment. Last week I met a lady whose daughter is washing cars to help raise money for cancer patients because mom was diagnosed with cancer. And, today we worked on a story about what Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is doing to help with early detection of lung cancer.

Back to last week, our newest weekend anchor, Nico Belha, and I went to Walkertown to meet little Taylor Strassburg. Taylor and her friend Julia Barnes came up with the idea when Taylor's mom, Tracy, was having chemo treatments. It seems Taylor and Julia were getting bored this summer and wanted something to do. They washed their mom's cars, and then a few more. Suddenly it dawned on them that they could get money for the washings and donate it to the families Taylor had met at the Cancer Center where mom was getting treatments.

I was so impressed with a little girl who would think of others at a time when she must be worried about her mother. Taylor said she knew people at the Cancer Center liked it when kids came in to talk to them. So she wanted the money to go to the Forsyth Regional Cancer Center, about $200 when Taylor and Julia were done. I can't help but think about how brave Taylor is to stand up to this disease and say, "my mom has cancer." And, "I like her new haircut." Yep, she's a brave one. She's making a difference.

The doctors at Wake Forest's Comprehensive Cancer Center are making a difference, too. I learned today they have a study going on with over 1000 people in the Piedmont who get regular chest CAT-Scans. The hope is to prove that early detection of lung cancer can help save lives. With the recent death of long-time anchorman Peter Jennings fresh on the minds of many we set out to find out what technological break-throughs are on the horizon.

Suffice to say the doctors are on the forefront of new medicine, treatments and technology that will someday help those with cancer.