When I was 23, I heard the words “you have cancer.”  My name is Becky VanLoon.  I live in Mason City, Iowa.   In 2001 I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer).  I remember what the doctor was wearing that day.  I remember a mind-numbing feeling that came over me.  I remember the moment of anger I felt when I realized that the previous doctor kept ignoring my symptoms because he thought I was making things up.

I have lived in seven states and have met people in all walks of life.  Over the past 20+ years, I have been involved in Relay For Life, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and have been an American Cancer Society (ACS) volunteer in most of those states.  Meeting people through “normal” life and through ACS events has given me the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about different cancers and cancer journeys, and the special role caregivers play in the care of a cancer patient.  As I have listened to others, it reminds me how many facets there are to my story and their stories. Through ACS, I have been given the opportunity to share my story.  My desire is that my story provides HOPE for those advocating for them-selves to be heard, to inspire survivors as they deal with a wide range of emotions, and to provide support to both survivors and caregivers.  Sharing the resources made available through the American Cancer Society is very important to me.

My family has a history of cancer that has increased since my diagnosis in 2001.  It encompasses non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and blood cancer.  Through the years of helping family, it has only pushed me to want to help more in the fight against cancer.  I want future generations that hear “you have cancer,” also hear “but we have a CURE for that.”