Over the years, our scientists have kept researching possible cures for different diseases, but cancer has proven to be one of those challenging ailments to really come up with a perfect cure to save lives. We are aware of how lots of people have died from this same sickness. Some husbands were made widowers, some wives widows, and children suffered from the loss of a parent over this deadly sickness. Families in general have lost their loved ones, and it's been a concern. Even the people who are financially okay to manage their loved ones with the same sickness pass through loads of stress, both psychologically, emotionally, and otherwise. This is for us to see that cancer isn't just an ordinary illness.
Imagine that hidden somewhere in my genes is a cure for cancer. Will I be willing to allow doctors to run tests and other experiments on me trying to get the cure, even if it means doing this all my life? To start with, this question and its answer are personal. A lot of us will definitely have different answers to this prompt, and that's quite understandable. I wasn't in a hurry to come up with my response to this question. I have to think through what I have seen and know so far about this sickness called cancer.
I had a quick recall of my experience the day I visited the cancer unit in Lagos State Teaching Hospital here in Nigeria sometime this year. I also had to recall how many cancer patients kept coming to our church soliciting funds so they could live. I recalled also my own loved ones and friends who lost their lives to cancer after so much chemotherapy, even some who cut off their breasts, yet they couldn't make it. To be sincere, it's hard to accept standing in for this sacrifice, especially when it means doing this all my life. My friend said that anything more than just donating blood for a test, he wouldn't agree to become a lab rat, lol.
But personally, I would say YES to this. Not just for prompt's sake, but the fact that my only life, just one life , could be able to save millions of lives out there. I would say because I would be able to wipe away tears in many families going through pain. I would say yes again , because whether or not the test, I would still die someday because no one lives forever on this earth. I would say yes because I have what it takes to save some children from losing their parent, so why hold back? I know that such constant experimentation on me wouldn't be easy, but then, I haven't seen anyone achieve something tangible without sacrifice , so YES, it is.
Perhaps some people in our world who still care may think through such sacrifice and rethink what love means to humanity. Just maybe, this kind of sacrifice can change how we treat our neighbors ,our maids, our employers, our colleagues, and others, and experience what it looks like to have a world where love thrives —just maybe!
Overall , my yes is only if I am certain that, indeed, the whole process will really save lives truly and not for any selfish motives!
This post is in response to the #HiveLearners community prompt on the topic titled, FOR A CURE.
Images were taken from canva