Happy Cancer season!

I know cancer season is mid-June to mid-July, but I am not talking about zodiacs.

It is that time of year when organizations count laps or hours spent dancing in the name of fighting cancer. I mean, the Pennsylvania State University just raised a record-breaking $16,955,683.63 at its yearly THON which is a 46-hour dance for philanthropy.

You have probably heard of Relay for Life, a global movement that has raised billions of dollars for the American Cancer Society, “a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone,” according to its website, Cancer.org. Relays for Life are events spanning day and night in promoting walking around tracks to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

Here at Shippensburg University, our walk will be held Friday, April 5 from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. in ShipRec. Hosted by our chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, the event aims to raise $30,000 for the American Cancer Society, according to its event launch page.

At the time of writing this, students from all walks of life have raised almost $8,000. Teams represent sororities and fraternities, Student Ambassadors, In-Motion Dance Troupe, Housing and Residence Life and even the Wood Honors College.

I am no stranger to this community-based cancer advocacy. My middle and high school hosts a mini-THON every year, and I participated almost every year since sixth grade to my graduation. I have even attended several Relays for Life growing up.

My mom had leukemia when I was in third and fourth grades, a type of cancer of the blood that affects bone marrow and blood cells. I was probably the only 9-year-old in my home county that knew how to spell leukemia.

After 11 months, my mother died from complications due to leukemia. She contracted sepsis, and her organs began shutting down. She passed away on March 28, 2012 — 12 years ago.

Does this mean she is a loser?

Cancer has long been portrayed as a battle, something to be won or conversely lost. The American Cancer Society integrates this ideology with its language on its website, labeling itself as a “cancer-fighting organization” that “combats cancer.”

This language is not unique to the American Cancer Society. Any time people speak about cancer, it seems to be equated to a battle.

Elevated in the 1970s as a way to bolster funding for cancer research, there is an idea that society is at war with cancer, a disease that over 600,000 Americans die from each year according to the CDC. People must “fight” or “battle” cancer. Those who are cured are “survivors” or “winners.” There is a romanticized heroism put on people who have cancer when they are simply going through treatment.

To borrow a term coined by Stella Young, the late disability rights activist, it is inspiration porn: portraying people with uncommon life circumstances, such as cancer, as being inspirational to common people on the basis of their life circumstances.

My mom had cancer in the heyday of Facebook, photos of her during treatments and comments under such calling her a “survivor” and “champ” currently immortalized. It has been 12 years, but I cannot help but feel an air of failure around my mother’s death despite it being no one’s fault she did not “win.”

To everyone who will be walking the night away at SU’s Relay for Life this weekend, I want to thank you for your effort in furthering the research and support done for people with cancer, but I urge you to think about how your language and attitude may come across.

Cancer is not a game, and dying should not be losing.

To imply there is a fight to be won or lost, and therefore a winner or loser, is not accurate or fair when it comes to cancer.

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