Beyond World Cancer Day: Where Personal Connection Meets Professional Passion
Written by: Becky Morales, LCSW-S, Licensed Therapist
World Cancer Day is held every year on February 4th. This international day is focused on raising awareness and education, in addition to calling on individuals and governments worldwide to promote health equity. By the time you’re reading this, it’ll be well after February 4th - and yet, I’m honored to have the opportunity to share a little bit about the impact of cancer on my life and why I choose to focus on supporting others impacted by cancer in my work.
If you’re anything like me, you or someone you know has heard the words “you have cancer.”
In 2020 alone, 1,603,844 new cancer cases were reported according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s rare to cross paths with someone who hasn’t had some connection to cancer, either directly (being the person diagnosed with the disease) or indirectly (being a loved one and/or a caregiver to someone diagnosed). While cancer is a disease that doesn’t discriminate, it’s also a disease that disproportionately impacts BIPOC communities. The disparities within cancer are significant - according to the National Cancer Institutes, race/ethnicity, gender identity and geographic location are some of the factors that may contribute to cancer disparities. These factors most definitely overlay what is already a horrible disease.
There is so much that comes with a cancer diagnosis for all impacted by it - it’s unequivocally a disease with numerous ripple effects and something that affects more than just one’s physical body.
I grew up having lost some loved ones to cancer from a very early age. Most notable was my paternal grandmother who died when I was just six months old. I grew up knowing she had died from cancer, but little else about what that experience was like for my family members. I remember having such curiosity about this and wondering how the experience impacted my loved ones.
I never imagined focusing my work on cancer and other chronic health conditions. I honestly fell into the work when I began my career in 2003. I initially supported families of children living with chronic health conditions, and was surprised to find passion in supporting people navigating such complex health stressors. While I’ve had the honor of learning about many chronic health conditions, for some reason, I naturally found myself gravitating towards working within the cancer space. Little did I realize that through my work, I’d be learning a great deal about myself and my family. Throughout my career my life has continued to be touched by cancer - from having a sibling diagnosed, to losing an aunt to the disease, and having another aunt survive cancer three times. All of those instances were emotionally complex for a lot of different reasons.
At some point along the way, I realized how much I needed to be talking to someone about what I was experiencing and the myriad of emotions I was feeling.
As someone who firmly believes in the power of therapy, it was hard for me to acknowledge that I needed to talk with my own therapist about what I was feeling and trying to make sense of things. I honestly felt some guilt about having so many emotions about the disease considering it wasn’t me who had received the diagnosis. And yet, I was so impacted by my loved ones being diagnosed and things I couldn’t have possibly imagined all got stirred up. I now know how real and valid this is - the indirect impact of cancer is huge. Talking about what I was feeling was critically important for me and also enabled me to be supportive to my loved ones dealing directly with the disease.
Something we are so passionate about at Colors of Austin is access. Access to mental health care and support is critical - and access can be a barrier without a doubt.
Financial toxicity is a significant challenge for many who are dealing with cancer. The costs of cancer care are significant and the financial burden is huge. This alone can be a reason why someone doesn’t access mental health services - it’s simply something that can’t be paid for on top of numerous medical expenses, tests, prescriptions, etc.
Largely because of my own experiences, I’ve made supporting people impacted by cancer the focus of my work. Advocating for access is an important part of this, as is holding space for those currently on their respective journeys. People have often asked me if it’s difficult to do this work considering how cancer has touched me and my family’s life. The answer for me is yes and…
Yes it’s hard. And it’s also simultaneously beautiful to witness the human spirit and the joy that can coexist with pain.
In a way, by doing this work, I feel connected to my grandmother whom I never had the opportunity to know. I am grateful for this gift.
Becky Morales is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Council-Approved Supervisor with over 20 years of experience in the mental health space. She has spent the majority of her career working in various local Austin nonprofits and health care settings (both inpatient and outpatient). She has been an impactful part of the COAC family since 2019 and now currently serves as the Chief Mission Officer at Flatwater, a Central Texas based nonprofit that provides mental health therapy in the wake of cancer, connecting individuals with therapists to help clear their mind, heal their body, and find the strength to take on a diagnosis. You can learn more about Flatwater and their mission here.