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Photo provided by Shandy Welch

In 2015, Shandy Welch got the phone call everyone dreads: “You have cancer.”  “The world really does stop the moment you get the news.”  Shandy responded with four simple words: “Am I gonna die?”  And then, “I can’t die; I have two little girls at home.”  The caller spoke gently and resolutely, saying something you almost never hear from a doctor delivering bad news: “Shandy, you’re not going to die from this.”

Ms. Welch is an orthopedic nurse practitioner who has worked at Providence St. Vincent Hospital for over 20 years.  At the time she received her cancer diagnosis, she already had plenty of experience working with patients facing difficult prognoses, but one stands out:  a hip fracture patient with brain cancer.  Despite his situation, the gentleman was happy, smiling, and upbeat.  “It’s all about how you feel,” said Shandy. “It’s not about the cancer.”

Arriving home from her own cancer surgery, Shandy found her kitchen counter covered in flowers.   “The flowers represented all the people around me who were holding me so tightly,” Shandy said as she recalls the feelings of warmth and support.  After her recovery, she got involved with the American Cancer Society and now serves as a member of the Board.

Every single day, almost 1,700 people in the United State will die of cancer.  Forty percent of people will get some form of cancer in their lifetime.  The ACS is a leader in transformational cancer breakthroughs and has contributed to a 29% drop in cancer death rates in the US since 1991.  The ACS has advocated for $9 billion in additional funding for the National Instituted of Health and over $1 billion more funding for the National Cancer Institute since 2015.  Thanks to ACS, 100% of US workplaces are smoke-free.

Activities such as Relay for Life, Making Strides, and Cancer Action Network raise money and awareness to fight the disease.  More than this, ACS volunteers are available 24/7 to support cancer patients on their road to recovery with tangibles such as wigs, short-term housing, and rides to medical appointments, and intangibles like a sympathetic ear or shoulder.

For more information, visit cancer.org or all 800.227.2345.