The video presents a series of first‑person testimonies that illustrate the personal impact of cancer and the broader work of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Speaker A, a mother of three, recounts her own diagnosis at age 36 with triple‑negative, BRCA‑positive breast cancer, her family’s cancer history, and the aggressive treatment plan that included chemotherapy, double mastectomy and preventive hysterectomy. She also describes visiting her mother, a breast‑cancer survivor now battling lymphoma. Addison, an 8‑year‑old, shares his diagnosis of juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, his participation in two clinical trials, and his optimism about helping future patients. Speaker C reflects on how cancer upended a previously normal life and emphasizes the importance of clinical‑trial data for future patients. Speakers D and E explain ACS’s role in funding research, highlighting the “Pay If” grant mechanism that supports researchers when funds become available, and describing a specific Levine Cancer Institute project investigating genetic pathways that metabolize cancer and pain‑control drugs. The narrative weaves personal resilience, the uncertainty of trial outcomes, and a hopeful vision that coordinated research and funding will eventually “lick” many kinds of cancer.
Chapters
So I have 3 small kids. I have an 8-year-old, Mamie. She's my firstborn. Lulu is my 5-year-old, and then Topper is my 3-year-old. So it's just mass chaos.
My name is Addison. I am 8 years old. I have a mom, her name is Christy. I have a dad, his name is Roland. I have a sister, her name is Liliana, and I have a brother that The nurse called and I immediately knew.
She said, you have interductal carcinoma.
I have juvenile polycytic astrocytoma. It is a brain tumor.
Cancer was not on my radar. It could happen to anyone. We had a completely normal life before, but now things are different. We have a different normal. Addison's been on 2 different trials now, and they always tell me this may not be her answer, and I get that. It may not be hers, but she could help provide the information for the next person.
Now go swing it, Jamie!
I go and I work out, and I'm grateful every morning that I have the energy and that I'm alive to be able to go work out. I was actually 36 when I got diagnosed. My mother had breast cancer at 30. Her mother had ovarian cancer and passed away at 37. I had what was called triple negative, BRCA positive. We knew that we would give it as much chemo as we could, have the double mastectomy, have the preventative hysterectomy, and I would never have to worry about it again. It would be a rough year, but I get to live for the rest of my life.
I'm hopeful that in the future we're gonna lick many kinds of cancer, not only breast cancer, childhood cancers, but other types of cancers. And I assure you, the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society, of course, really supports about 700 active researchers to the tune of $400 million. But, you know, the problem is there are so many grants that are put in that we can't cover. So there's a wonderful program called Pay If, and that is if you have a grant that you want to put in, and if the funds become available, the Cancer Society will support you.
At Levine Cancer Institute, we're hoping to get some funding from the ACS for a really exciting project, which we think is pretty innovative. One of our senior investigators is doing work looking at the genes within the body that are responsible for metabolizing new drugs, both cancer drugs and with pain-controlling drugs.
I'm going to visit my mom. She's finishing up her 3rd round of chemo. Breast cancer survivor that she is, a few months ago got diagnosed with lymphoma.
Any kind of new research that comes up could save— it could save my baby. No one person can cure it all, and it does take money, but I think if you have a good team of people working together, we'll get there one day.
