Our 2024 Scholarship Gold Winner - Laura B. - Wake Forest School of Medicine - Read Essay »
What does it take to fight cancer?
Cancer—a word we frequently hear on the news, in narratives shared online, and from friends and acquaintances. But what a lot of us might not realize is that this seemingly common and simple word carries a weight far heavier than we can truly grasp until it crashes into our lives and turns everything upside down. Although I haven’t battled cancer myself, witnessing the journey of my loved ones facing this tough challenge has taught me invaluable lessons about what it truly takes to fight cancer. Years may pass, but the memory of how my father and uncle bravely fought this deadly illness will always be in my mind and heart.
My father was always strong and healthy. I knew him as a man of great character and an excellent provider who worked tirelessly to prioritize the well-being of his family above all else. But I never imagined his strength would be tested by something as fierce as liver cancer. When that time came, I remembered how our world instantly went into shambles.
For those who are unfamiliar with liver cancer, this lethal illness usually develops quietly yet aggressively and is frequently detected after it has already progressed to a later stage. From my research, I learned that environmental toxic exposure and family history are common risk factors for this disease. This knowledge made my father's diagnosis even more heartbreaking because his situation was something we could have anticipated, but we didn't.
His journey with cancer began with subtle signs such as unusual fatigue, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal pain that he would sometimes complain about as it would radiate to his shoulder. We really didn’t think much of these at first, but eventually, a diagnosis of liver cancer was confirmed. This news not only shocked him but all of us. Despite all the grueling treatments he went through—from chemotherapy to surgeries—the emotional toll it took on him and our family was just as agonizing. But what truly stood out during that time was how we all came together. We rallied around him to provide emotional support, keep his spirits up, and make sure that he was never alone until his last breath.
And as if losing one family member isn’t enough, my uncle—my father’s brother—was also diagnosed with liver cancer just a year after we witnessed the tragic death. The genetic connection between them made it even more clear that liver cancer wasn’t just a random illness but something that ran in our family. Like my father, my uncle fought hard and went through treatments as he hoped that he might recover one day. But it seemed the odds weren’t still in our favor as he also lost his battle. To watch both my father and my uncle pass away was something I never imagined I’d have to go through.
Those were two lives lost. Two loved ones defeated by a disease that we had no control over. Yet, through it all, what kept me and the rest of the family going was our deep love for them and the strong support we gave each other. We let our shared bond generate strength that could pull us through those darkest times. In addition, I saw the importance of community in the fight against cancer. The way our friends, extended family, and neighbors stepped up to help was nothing short of amazing, and such a concerted effort even became one of our vital sources of hope. It reminded me that while cancer may take lives, it reveals as well the incredible capability of people to care for one another.
In the end, I realized that what it truly takes to fight cancer goes far beyond the treatments and medications—it's also about the love and concerted efforts of the family and community to extend unwavering support that could help the cancer victim to keep moving forward despite unimaginable challenges. Right now, I’m pursuing a medical degree, and I look forward to that day when I can offer not only expertise but also compassion and support to someone else walking down the same difficult path. I want to be the person who can pass on the knowledge and hope I’ve gained from this journey to help others find the courage to keep fighting because I know that this disease isn't just about how you can treat it—it’s also about making the affected person feel seen, valued, and supported during their most harrowing moments.
Laura, B. - Wake Forest School of Medicine
Our 2024 Scholarship Silver Winner - Jill M. - University of Miami - Read Essay »
What does it take to fight cancer?
Cancer has its way of stripping everything down to its core. It doesn’t come with a neat package of inspirational quotes or promises of strength. The truth is it brings you raw fear, shattered expectations, and moments slapping the fact that hope feels like a distant dream rather than a tangible reality. I learned this when my very own mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. People knew I always looked up to this woman as more than a superhero, serving as both our mother and father after my dad died when I was still a baby. Yes, she was a single mom who had always been larger than life and carried the weight of our family’s laughter and love. Unfortunately, she suddenly became frail and lost in a world of treatments that left her weaker with every passing day.
It all started with a cough—a simple yet persistent one that wouldn’t go away. We shrugged this off at first because it seemed like nothing more than a cold. But this symptom worsened after a few weeks, so we decided to do an X-ray test. Little did we know that the result would devastate us as it revealed my mama, as I would call her, was already suffering from an advanced stage of lung cancer. The findings hit us like a ton of bricks because we never saw that coming. Who would have thought that the woman who stood as a strong and steady figure in our family would meet something as deadly as this?
In those early weeks, we all wore smiles like masks, trying to convince each other that everything would be fine. We spoke in positive platitudes, telling her she was strong and that she could beat this just as how she conquered the challenges in the past years. But I quickly realized that strength in this fight wasn’t about walking around with a smile plastered on your face. It wasn’t about being brave in front of others or pretending the pain wasn’t there. It was about simply surviving the next moment—even when it felt like the world was collapsing around us.
The hospital rooms and the endless sea of medical jargon became part of our daily routine. But what they didn’t prepare us for was how cancer slowly tears away not just the body but also the soul. It’s a fight that doesn’t let you stay the same person you were before. And for those of us watching from the outside, it’s equally brutal. There were days when I had to hold my breath and try to hide my tears to pretend to be strong despite being lost as everyone else.
But here’s the twist. Cancer might have ravaged my mom’s body, but it gave us something essential. It made us ponder that life isn’t guaranteed and that it’s not a fairy tale where everyone can live happily ever after. With that, we also realized that not every fight has a good ending and that sometimes, just getting through another day is the victory. It wasn’t the positive affirmations or the strength we thought we needed—it was the acceptance of the journey, in all its pain and ugliness that became the true form of courage. Through it all, it also became apparent that education was our lifeline. The more we learned, the less we feared the unknown. It wasn’t just about reading medical journals or knowing the best treatments but understanding the very toll cancer could take on someone’s life.
There was no miracle cure or magical turnaround that could make everything okay again. Yet we had that kind of quiet peace from truly knowing the journey and facing it with eyes wide open. We then knew that the real fight against cancer isn’t just about fighting the disease itself—it’s about learning how to live and love despite the circumstances and accept that sometimes, survival means holding on, even when there’s nothing left to hold on.
In the aftermath of our experience, I realized that the lessons learned from cancer are too important to keep to myself. That’s why I am eager now to pursue a career in healthcare to become part of a system that educates others, supports patients and families, and provides the emotional and physical tools needed to face the fight. I know now that the power of education is the key to helping people navigate their own battles with cancer—whether it's understanding the disease itself, learning how to cope with its impact, or supporting the mental and emotional strength needed to keep going. And it is because of this that I want to use what I’ve learned to give back. I want to ensure that others don’t face cancer alone and that they have the knowledge and support they need to keep fighting, no matter what.
Jill, M. – University of Miami
Our 2024 Scholarship Bronze Winner - Brian F. – The University of West Alabama - Read Essay »
What does it take to fight cancer?
Serious illnesses like cancer were never a conversation at our dinner table. For me personally, it was something that would just happen to other people—until it wasn’t. When my Uncle Roger, my father’s older brother, was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer, the reality of the disease landed in our family like an uninvited guest refusing to leave.
Uncle Roger was the kind of person who could fill a room without trying. He had a deep, booming laugh and a way of making you feel like you’re the most important person in the world when speaking to you. He was also stubborn. That’s why when his doctor laid out the long road ahead with all the grueling yet necessary treatments—the chemotherapy, surgery, and the unpredictable twists that come with battling cancer—he just squared his shoulders and said he was ready to fight it.
At first, I thought fighting the disease meant enduring long-running therapies, medical operations, nausea, and exhaustion. And it actually does. But it quickly dawned on me that it’s more than that. The real fight happens in quiet moments, in the spaces between appointments and lab results. It’s in the way my dad sat up late at night researching clinical trials, my grandmother cooked meals Uncle Roger could stomach even when nothing tasted right, and my uncle himself cracked jokes in the infusion center just to make the nurses laugh.
I then began to realize that cancer doesn’t just affect the people diagnosed—it seeps into the lives of everyone who loves them. It doesn’t just test the body but also the family as they were stretched in ways they never expected. My dad, who had always been the strong one, suddenly carried a weight I had never seen before. He tried to stay composed, but little did he know that I caught a glimpse of his fear in the way his hands tightened around his coffee mug or how he lingered on the phone after every call with my uncle.
I wanted to help, but what could I do? I wasn’t a doctor or a scientist. I was just a college student with a front-row seat to something I didn’t fully understand. So I did what I just could. I showed up, sat with my dad as he made calls, and helped my uncle’s kids with their schoolwork when he was too tired to get out of bed. I listened and learned that fighting cancer isn’t just about medicine or statistics. It’s about showing up over and over again, even when it’s hard.
Uncle Roger’s battle lasted two years. The cancer eventually won, but not without a fight, and in that fight, I saw what resilience looks like. I saw how love, support, and determination didn’t cure the disease but instead gave people the strength to face it head-on. When I think about what it takes to fight cancer, I can testify that it's not just about the doctors and medical breakthroughs—it’s about the people who stand beside you through it all. Watching my uncle’s battle and seeing how my family fought alongside him changed the way I see my future. And I don’t think this is something that needs to be silenced. Rather, it should be shared so that others can also get hope and courage out of it. We may not be aware of it all the time, but cancer stories are just some of the accounts that can inspire action.
I may not be pursuing a medical degree currently, but as a Communication major, I’ve come to understand the power of storytelling in instilling awareness, shaping perspectives, and driving change. As such, I want to use my field to help ensure that their struggles, triumphs, and needs are heard because awareness and understanding can be just as powerful as any treatment.
Brian F. – The University of West Alabama
$5,000
The winner will receive funds from our asbestos scholarship fund as financial aid.
$3,000
The winner will receive funds from our asbestos scholarship fund as financial aid.
$2,000
The winner will receive funds from our asbestos scholarship fund as financial aid.
Why are we offering the scholarship to students affected by cancer?
We are aware of how profoundly a cancer diagnosis affects the family dynamics and the emotional well-being of each family member. Everything changes in a family when someone gets a cancer diagnosis. Parents have to quit jobs and focus on treatment and the family's income decreases drastically. Our goal is to support a student with a family connection to cancer continue his/her education. For this reason, we have decided to offer a little help to young people who have witnessed a loved one’s devastating struggle with cancer in order to ease at least their financial situation.
"Our firm founder's father suffered from an asbestos-related disease and many members of our staff share the traumatizing experience of standing by a family member who battled cancer."
Greg Cade current owner at Environmental Litigation Group P.C.
Awarded over $2.5 million in our asbestos scholarship fund
Our asbestos scholarship fund was established over 50 years ago with the purpose of providing financial help to children and grandchildren of our clients whose asbestos litigation cases had been settled. Over 160 students receiving the asbestos scholarships have attended 47 colleges and universities, including Auburn University, University of Alabama, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Stillman College, Spelman College, and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). In 2005 we extended the eligibility requirements to include all students who have a family member diagnosed with cancer.
