Why I support the American Cancer Society

What ACS did for my family and why I support Relay For Life....

Aug 25, 2020, it was 17 years since my sister, Demetria Wieland AKA "boots"https://www.facebook.com/demeakabootsleft us. She was Diagnosed with ALL or acute lymphocytic leukemia, typically a childhood cancer Feb 27, 1992 She was 19…

The American Cancer Society or ACS, was there for her for the 11 years she was going through her treatments, they helped Deme by providing many services and she took advantage of them. From the Look Good Feel Better program that Not only gave her a few wigs, but gave her instruction on how to wear and care for wigs when she lost her hair ( which happened several times in that 11 years). Ever priced a wig? $60 -$100. They also gave her instruction and special make ups that helped her cover up scars and blemishes from the treatments so she could be normal if she wanted. Do you know what graft vs host does? Well, it made her literally pink with purple polka dots. Not to mention when her liver started failing and she became very jaundice., or Yellow.

In addition to wigs, she was also given hats, scarves, from the ACS cancer resource center when she was going through these no hair days. They gave a blue denim hat she wore all the time.

She spent almost 6 months not once but twice, in Ann Arbor at U of M in a hotel on the campus that was $69 a night, in the late 90s and the American Cancer Society, through the Hope Lodge Program, covered that bill for her, so she did not have to make the 2 hour drive every day for treatments. Do the math, $69 a night for almost a year. That is $25,185 When gas and wear and tear on a vehicle( and only getting $600 a month on disability, ) were not an option. And when someone asks me where the money goes we raise during Relay, I tell them, programs and research.

I know ACS gave 2.5 million dollars to U of M, in 2013, along with donations to several other universities that have studies in the cancer fields. Cancer patients can choose to be case studies and hopefully prolong their lives in hopes of finding that answer that could help cure the next person diagnosed with the same kind of cancer.

Many people don't know that ACS has been instrumental in funding at least 47 nobel prizes in the cancer research field. And for you that tell me there is a cure for cancer the government just doesn’t want people to know. Well, there are some things or “cures” they can do for certain types of cancers but not every type. Prevention, education and early detection are the key to a cure..

Yes, Deme was a test subject or what they called “case study” for some of this research, because she refused to let the doctors be right in saying the day she was diagnosed with Leukemia, to go home and get your affairs in order because you may only have about 6 months left. FYI she went through hell, 2 bone marrow transplants, countless hours of chemo, and doctors appointments, in and out of remission, taking up to 77 pills a day, graft vs host, spinal taps, losing her daughter because of chemo meds while she was pregnant. (Grayleye Anne on the grave marker) So for all of you that shake your head at me when and ask me why I put so much time and effort in this “ relay thing” , I want to know, what would you do if you could have an extra 11 years with your sister, brother, father, mother, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, cousin, spouse, child or best friend!?!?

This is Why I Relay For Life in Southern NV or anywhere else I am.