This week, thousands of people in hundreds of communities across the United States and around the world will gather to recognize National Cancer Survivors Day. Though the day is typically celebrated on the first Sunday of June – Rapides Cancer Center will celebrate their local cancer survivors on June 5. Current and former patients, along with their friends and family members are invited to join staff from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Cancer Center lobby for refreshments and a short time of reflection, encouragement and celebration.
“The staff at Rapides Cancer Center want to honor the brave people who touch our lives,” said Jeff Langston, MBA, MHA, Director of Oncology. “For a time, we see these patients and families daily – and once they enter the survivorship phase, we often lose contact. This event gives us all a chance to reconnect and celebrate together.”
A “survivor” is anyone living with a history of cancer, from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life, according to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, which reports that an estimated 15.5 million Americans are cancer survivors.
Each year for National Cancer Survivors Day, hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada and other participating countries host celebrations of life. This year marks the 32nd anniversary of this celebration.