Lights of Hope: Every Bag Tells A Story

I was honored this week to stand with so many cancer advocates, patients and survivors at the 8^th annual Lights of Hope Ceremony on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Each year as we walk among the thousands of illuminated bags, the Lights of Hope ceremony serves as a powerful visualization of our loved ones whose lives have been touched by cancer. Every single one of the 33,000 bags that our dedicated volunteers carried with them to Washington, D.C. this week tells an important story.

We were lucky to share a few of those important stories on Tuesday night. Jacqueline Beale, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Maryland State Lead Ambassador, told us the story of both her mother and grandmother being diagnosed with cancer. Jacqueline herself was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer at age 40, and defeated the disease not once, but twice. Now, 16 years later, Jacqueline is a two-time breast cancer survivor who helps lead the fight against cancer on behalf of all patients, survivors and advocates. In her own words, “I once heard someone say that once you are a survivor, you are always a survivor. Survivors are the lens through which others see hope.” She’s right – and Jacqueline’s story of survivorship allows many of us to see hope for a future without cancer.

Gary Reedy, CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), shared with us the story of his beloved sister-in-law Julie, who was taken from her family far too soon after her battle with non-small cell lung cancer. Gary emphasized that it is stories like Julie’s that inspire the work and commitment of ACS CAN volunteers. Looking out at the hundreds of volunteers who had spent the day on Capitol Hill, Gary told them, “Seeing your faces and knowing what you stand for, I’m absolutely moved by your dedication, passion and tenacity to take a stand and give a voice to all cancer patients. Today, your voice was heard.”

I was proud to have the opportunity to share Maddie Kramer’s story. Three-year-old Maddie lost her battle with a rare form of cancer in January of this year. She was a bright light in the lives of all who knew her, especially her family members. Her grandfather, Dr. Arnie Baskies, is a long-time volunteer with the American Cancer Society and served as Chair of the ACS Board of Directors. His focus and leadership in advancing the fight against cancer keeps Maddie’s bright light shining and turns her story into a legacy, and I thank Team Maddie for sharing her powerful story with us.

Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), a lead sponsor of the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, joined us at the ceremony. Rep. Payne, Jr. shared the story of his father, the late Congressman Donald Payne, who lost his battle with colon cancer in 2012 after a life of dedicated public service. Rep. Payne, Jr. honors his father’s legacy by championing legislation that makes cancer a national priority, specifically supporting policies that encourage and increase access to lifesaving early detection programs.

Finally, the Chairman and CEO of Celgene Corporation, Mark Alles, concluded the ceremony by sharing several powerful stories with us, one of which was the journey of Cherie, who survived her six-year battle with multiple myeloma. Mr. Alles describes Cherie as “a survivor, a wife, a mother, an author, an advocate, and quite possibly a superhero,” and we all celebrated the fact that Cherie is beating her cancer thanks to progress in research that led her to her 15^th therapy after the previous 14 had not kept her cancer in remission.

The Lights of Hope ceremony was made possible by the generous support of Celgene.

The 8^th annual Lights of Hope ceremony was an inspiring end to a day filled with advocacy, determination and commitment. Thank you to everyone who continues to share their story with ACS CAN and with lawmakers. It is a privilege to hear your stories, and those stories drive our fight for a world without cancer.