Fighting Cancer, One Step at a Time
For many people, fighting back against cancer is personal. More than 2 million new cases of cancer were estimated to be diagnosed in the US last year. For those spared the disease, chances are they have a family member, friend or other loved one who has been afflicted with cancer. For me, that someone was my mother, Bella Nastaskin.
When I was 19 years old, just four years after immigrating to the US from Kiev, Ukraine with my mother, she developed abdominal pains. What initially appeared to be gallstones was eventually revealed to be pancreatic cancer, and just six months after her diagnosis, she passed at the age of 57. She was so young, with so much life ahead of her.
Up until that point, I didn’t know anyone with cancer. I dropped out of college to be my mother’s full-time caregiver, administering morphine injections in our tiny apartment as her pain grew. We were extremely close, having fled the hardships of the Soviet Union together in 1973, and this was a devastating experience for me. Suddenly, my world turned upside down. I was on my own, no longer able to afford tuition at the University of Chicago, and having to face all of life’s ups and downs without my rock, my mother.
Had there been a cure for cancer, maybe my mom would have seen me graduate from Loyola University of Chicago, where I eventually transferred, and start a career. Maybe she would have met my wife of nearly 36 years, Suzy, and played with her grandchildren, Isabelle, Aaron and Jacob. Who knows, maybe she would have met her great-grandchildren. There are a lot of maybes and what-ifs when we lose someone we love. And too many of us have lost someone to this horrible disease, or have been diagnosed ourselves.
My personal heartache motivated me to get involved with Relay for Life 20 years ago when I became the captain of the Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club team. To date, we have raised approximately $200,000 to support the American Cancer Society.
The signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event dedicated to saving lives from cancer. During Relay For Life, teams have at least one member walking on a track at all times. Funds raised go toward research, 24/7 support for cancer patients, access to lifesaving screenings and much more.
Supporting Relay for Life is easy. You can walk the track, or simply make a donation. This year’s event will take place May 4 from 12:30 – 8:30 pm in downtown Torrance on Sartori Avenue and will include live entertainment, food trucks and a kid’s corner.
To sign up for the Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club team (men and women are welcome), or donate funds to the American Cancer Society, please contact me at 310-892-6016 or [email protected]. Your gift is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Let’s all fight back against cancer to give those we love more tomorrows. For more information about the American Cancer Society’s support for survivors and patients, please call them 24/7 at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
