When I was 8 years old, cancer struck again and took the life of my grandmother. She had brain cancer. I was living overseas at the time, so I never had a chance to say goodbye. I had to hear about it over the phone instead. It just wasn't right.
Unfortunately, I am not alone. One of my best friends in college is a guy named Andrew. He's a really relaxed and fun person, and I love to hang out with him. And while he's pretty good at hiding it from most people, I know that he has an enormous weight on his shoulders. It affects him everyday, and makes it difficult to enjoy his life. For the past year, his mom has been fighting breast cancer.
Stories like this are the reason that I chose my photograph, and will guide me and give me purpous as I write about it. People need to understand why this picture is important. Why the people in this picture are important.
Millions of people have died from cancer, and millions more have had their lives damaged because of the people it has taken away from us. Cancer has caused death in people that are very important to me. That is why I want to inform others about about the risks and dangers associated with cancer. Connecting with this photograph I hope will be the first step.
In order to do this, I need to consider when writing my primary audience. While our class is small, informing even one young person about this disease is very important. And who knows, maybe they will decide to get involved and do something about it! Every dollar donated to cancer programs brings us closer to finding a cure. Every hour volunteered with cancer victims can make a huge difference in someone's life. And every person that decides to get screened, or tells someone close to them like their mother or husband to get screened, can potentially save a life.
Unfortunately, I also have to remember the context that most of my readers will be coming from. As college students, we are generally pretty healthy, care free and disinterested in the future. It's not really our fault, it's just the way that we are.
A lot of college students are also breaking free from the restraints of childhood, and might avoid anything that makes them feel less independent. We want to be strong and survive on our own, so going to the doctor seems silly and can take away that feeling.
Because of this, it will be important for my writing to relate to the students in my class on an emotional and personal level. They need to understand the fear that cancer victims feel when they are diagnosed. They need to have empathy for the emotional pain cancer causes.
I also need to put cancer in context for my readers. It probably seems like something that will never happen to you. But facts are facts. And the fact is, millions of Americans have died from cancer. Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. It's aso true that a completely healthy person, college student or even a child can fall victim to this disease. It can happen to you, your friends or your family. Anyone, anytime. And chances are at some point in your life, someone close to you will have to battle with cancer.
Finally, I want this blog to communicate a message. I want to connect my readers not only with the little girl and her mother in the picture, but with real stories and information that they can connect with. And the best way to do that is with the internet. I want to incorporate blogs, pictures, video and other multimedia into my project so that it can jump off the page and make an impact on the person reading it.
Cancer is a scary and terrible disease. But my purpous and goal as I write this semester will be to inform others of ways to prepare and hopefully avoid cancer, and teach them how and why they should get involved in the fight! We are stronger together than we could ever be alone.
