Today is World Cancer Day. Today, I’m pretty sure that all of you reading this will know someone affected by cancer. For them, every day is cancer day. For those in remission, or given the all-clear, we send our love and joy. For those still fighting the battle, we send our love and hope.
Cancer comes to us all in one way or another, sometime. The good news is that there are thousands of people out there determined to kick its backside. Some of the heroes in the battle with cancer are obvious: consultant oncologists, surgeons, specialist oncology nursing staff, radiographers, physiotherapists, speech and occupational therapists, hospice staff. Then there’s the army of scientists working behind the scenes to develop faster, more accurate diagnoses, better treatment, and the big, big hope: a cure. You may not have met these people, but you know they’re there in the background.
And behind all the people who have all these specialist skills is an even bigger army: the cancer charities. So many: too many to name here, tirelessly raising funds to fight cancer, to bring cancer patients going through that terrible journey some comfort, some hope, some love. It’s heart-warming to know that so many people who work for cancer charities do so voluntarily. They may not be medically trained, but they’re bringing their own special set of skills to the “army”. They’re making a difference in their own way, and the job they do is also priceless to the people they help.
And where does Supershoes stand in this battle? We’re not scientists. We’re not medical people. What we do know is that the world of cancer is huge and overwhelming. We know that it feels like not one mountain, but a whole range of mountains to climb for those going through treatment, and their loved ones. Especially for the children and young people going through treatment for cancer, to have to go through that particular journey seems brutally unfair. So many of them haven’t even left school yet; or had the chance to go to college or university; or been able to get their first job; or found their first place to live on their own; or been able to live an independent life. How must it feel to them, to have to fight cancer, when they’ve not yet even had the chance to have a normal life as an adult?
Supershoes doesn’t have the ability to change the course of cancer. That’s a world problem. What we do have though, is the ability to change a child or young person’s world, for a while. We can demonstrate that here’s another team of people who care about them; who are rooting for them; who want to empower them; make them smile; remind them of who they are, above and beyond their treatment and illness. It may be “just” a pair of shoes, but we know that a pair of Supershoes represents so much more to our Super brave children and young people. And while we have our team of Super Artists, Super Volunteers and all our generous sponsors, we’re going to carry on fighting for all those youngsters with everything we’ve got. That’s what they and their families are all doing, and the least we can do is to stand firm behind them. Not just on World Cancer Day. Every day.
With peace, love and gratitude
Sarah