The word cancer is often associated with fear, but as far back as I can remember, I wasn’t scared of cancer and I truly just wanted to help people suffering through it. I wanted to know them and their story and be a part of it through medicine. My curiosity started as a child trying to understand what was happening to some of my family members as they became ill and passed on. My inquisitiveness and concern for this disease only continued to grow as I got older and lost a sister to a yearlong fight with brain cancer and assisted another through years of breast cancer treatments. Eventually, this led me to help many others on their cancer journey through volunteer work as an advocate for the American Cancer Society.
These experiences have afforded me the honor of seeing cancer through a variety of people, all from different walks of life and with different stories to tell. However, one common and recurring theme I have come across from my family, friends and those I met through my volunteer work has been priceless and has led me to where I am today. This common theme has been how highly everyone spoke about their radiation therapists.
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These therapists were there for them every day, good or bad, and never gave up on them. They helped them in a multitude of ways, whether through a challenging treatment day, a dietary recommendation, a special lotion for skin discomfort or just to offer moral support and a shoulder to lean on. These radiation therapists impacted their lives forever and in turn mine. This realization led me to pursue my interest in oncology by focusing my studies on the perfect fit for me, radiation