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Good evening Mayor McFaddin, distinguished judges, visiting and reigning royalty, honored guests. Cancer sucks. You see it on t-shirts, all over random Facebook posts, stickers on the back of a minivan and you hear people saying it all the time, it's a common phrase. You hear what it's saying, but not everyone will fully understand its meaning, till it directly touches your life. Cancer sucks. Statistics from “The Canadian Cancer Society'' say 2 in 5 people will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. 1 in 4 people who have been diagnosed will die from the disease. I knew a woman who was 1 of the 4. She was more than just a statistic. She was the most beautiful, loving, giving, joyful woman anyone could ever meet. That woman was my grandma. This past September cancer took this beautiful woman from this world. Cancer doesn't discriminate, it's a disease that comes to steal, kill and destroy those you cherish most in life. It's one of the hardest things you can watch a loved one go through. One day everything seems normal, the next in pure agony. One day the chemotherapy is working, and the next more sick than before. One day you are brushing your hair, the next you are trying on hats to cover your head. One day you are talking to everyone you see, the next nobody knows what you're talking about. One day the doctor says he thinks it's getting better, till it doesn't. A grandma's love is boundless, it begins before you are born and it sustains beyond the grave. Grandmas are angels brought down in human form. They are your biggest supporters through this crazy thing we call life. They encourage you to follow your dreams and help you achieve them. Their job is to feed you candy for breakfast when your parents won't. My grandma did all these and more. She was the one I felt that I could tell anything to, from school to friends to gymnastics and everything in between. She lived a wild, crazy, exciting life, one that should have a movie made after her. She lived life to the fullest even when the world seemed like it was falling. All of her actions resembled her love for me. She stood beside me when she couldn't even stand on her own. I look up to her every day and I see myself in her and it gives me hope for the future. I remember being a kid in elementary school running in the Terry Fox run. Having to bring a toonie to support cancer research. Hoping to be the fastest runner in the class. Trying to run on one foot to be like him, even when we always fell on our faces. But the Terry Fox run was different this year. To most students it was just an excuse to get out of class. To me it was much bigger than that. As I was getting ready to start the run, I froze. The thought of participating in something in remembrance of a life lost to cancer was all too fresh. I tried with everything inside of me to muster up the courage to participate in the run. I couldn't do it. I didn't have the strength inside of me to start the race without falling to pieces. Even with all the advancements in research and treatment, cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. It invades lives without warning, causing devastation on families and communities. The journey through cancer is a rollercoaster of emotions, from hope to despair, from strength to vulnerability. Cancer teaches us resilience, empathy, and the importance of cherishing every moment with those we hold dear. I miss this woman every day. I know that this is where she would want me to be right now. I miss having someone who would comment on all my Instagram posts. Who would give me $5 just to take the garbage out. Who would text me asking about what's new. Who would fill me in on all the small-town gossip. Who would bring me to work with her at the candy store. I miss the woman who was so compassionate and caring for everyone she met. So as I stand up on this stage, I dedicate this night and every moment of my life to my grandma. Though she might not be here tonight in the audience, I know she's still here. Cancer may have taken her away from me, but her compassion, generosity and love stay.