Home » life » Stand Up To Cancer #DoGood #MC

Stand Up To Cancer #DoGood #MC

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric community. I have been compensated to share my experience with you by Collective Bias and their client, Mastercard. 

MasterCard is making a donation to Stand Up To Cancer through 12/31/13 every time you spend $10 or more on a meal, up to $4,000,000. Learn more here!

Motherhood after cancer

There are two big cancer stories in my life. Two people, two diagnoses, months apart. I was 22 months old. My cancer was found, almost by accident, at stage I. I was enrolled in a clinical trial that turned out to be the treatment that really works and resulted in few serious side effects. It is still used today, with very minor tweaks.

We need more cancer research so that fewer kids lose parents to cancer.

Mike’s dad was 26. Mike was 21 months old. His cancer was also stage I, the first time they found it. When I met him a little over 16 years later (at Thanksgiving – this picture was probably taken around then. Mike looks so young!) it was stage IV. He lived longer than anyone expected – long enough to see Mike and I get married:

Mike's parents at our wedding

Not long enough to meet our kids, who would have adored “Grandpa John”.

I hope that, someday, all the cancer stories will be like mine. In the meantime, I try to raise awareness, and research funds – like with this project a little over a year ago:

Small Hands Creating Hope

This month, we can all help to raise funds for cancer research by using MasterCard (link includes more information about this campaign) to pay when you dine out. Any time you eat out, pay with Mastercard, and spend at least $10, MasterCard will make a donation to the cancer research charity Stand Up To Cancer – up to $4,000,000! My kids were pretty excited that this gave us an excuse to eat at our favorite restaurant, Sweet Tomatoes!

Why is cancer research important to you?

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

20 thoughts on “Stand Up To Cancer #DoGood #MC”

  1. So great that they donate when you eat out! Some friends of ours just lost their 4 year old daughter to a rare brain cancer. Cancer research is important to me to save those precious lives, all of them, but especially the little ones.

  2. Oh MaryAnne, I didn’t know that about your life. I’m so, so glad that you were able to beat it. I freak out at the slightest health problem so I can’t imagine having that scare. And that’s amazing that your father-in-law was able to live all those years, but yes, definitely not long enough.

    I have two cancer stories in my family, a cousin and an aunt. Both so far have beat breast cancer, with my cousin stamping it out pretty quickly similar to you. My aunt though has had to go through several rounds, but is a fighter and is still hanging in there, with hopefully numbers and results so far.

    I truly hope that down the line the story of cancer will be one of those, “And this is how people used to have cancer” bits in the history books.

  3. Those are such touching stories! My cousin’s little boy has childhood cancer and it is so sad just thinking about it. That same cousin also recently lost his mother to cancer. I think everyone knows at least one person who either has cancer, is a cancer survivor or has died from the disease. It is so sad.

    1. That is so hard, Cascia. I hope your cousin’s son can recover. There is so much we still don’t understand about treating this disease effectively.

  4. Your story is such an inspiration, MaryAnne. I support cancer research because I too hope for more success against all destructive evil, including that of cancer.

  5. What a beautiful post MaryAnne. I don’t think I know of anyone who hasn’t been touched by cancer in some way. I love the effort you put into raising awareness and funds for cancer research.

    1. Thank you, Jody. Cancer really does affect all of us, in some way. I have seen a lot of progress research-wise over the course of my life, and would love to live to see the day where it is no longer such a scary diagnosis to face.

  6. Is the MasterCard contribution automatic or do I have to sign up somewhere with my card?

    I’ve had some good friends affected by cancer. In particular, I lost a classmate in the 4th grade to brain cancer. I was sad at the time that I wouldn’t get to hang out with him anymore, but looking back on that event now as a parent, my heart aches so much for his mom. I hope I never have to go through that pain. I donate to and support cancer research with a hope that someone’s life will be changed for the better.

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top