“It is not an easy battle” – NA Mayor on cancer fight

…Cancer Awareness Walk hosted

New Amsterdam Mayor Wainwright McIntosh is calling for all persons to be aware of the implications and need to be tested regularly to ensure they are cancer-free.
Pointing out how difficult it is for those living with the disease, McIntosh pledged his support for persons living with cancer.
On Wednesday, the Berbice Chapter of the Guyana Cancer Society hosted an awareness walk wherein scores of persons braved the hot mid-afternoon sun to march from Islington to Esplanade Park, covering two miles before the mayor made his statements.
McIntosh said he was overwhelmed by the support of persons representing different sectors, who came out in support of those living with cancer.
“It is not an easy battle for those individuals,” he said.
The mayor embraced the opportunity to speak of a close family member who is considered a cancer survivor.
“Up to last month [person identified] had a relapse, and in her moments of weakness, with support coming from different individuals, she was able to muster that strength and bounce back from that state,” he disclosed.
The mayor, recounting his own experiences, said cancer is not an easy ailment for those battling it.
“Cancer is no joke,” he added as he extended support to persons worldwide battling cancer.
President of the Berbice Cancer Society, Carmen Pluck, called on all religious organisations and politicians to support the battle against breast cancer. “Cancer does not choose,” she said. “We want no separation in this fight,” she added.
The annual march, according to Region Six Chairman David Armogan, is significant as its intent is to bring awareness to members of the public, particularly Guyanese, that cancer is everybody’s business and is a serious disease.
“Breast cancer is very prevalent among women in the world, and in Guyana, we have seen an increase in breast cancer over the years; but there is hope,” the Chairman assured. “Once you can detect it early, with medical interventions, you can be helped to live longer, and it will not be like it used to be years ago – a death sentence when someone tells you that you have cancer.”
He noted that everyone needs to be aware and spread the word all over, including at workplaces, that cancer can be cured if it is caught early.
“That is why it is important to have regular checks, because if you do not check, you will never know,” he said.
Some persons, he said, wait until it is too late to get checked for cancer in various parts of the body.
“The earlier you can have your breast examined and checked, it is better for you,” he said in an invited comment. “Not only women; cancer is on the rise, and so it is something that we need to be aware of at an early stage. So, we need to have regular checks,” the Chairman said. (G4)