Everyone, young and old, has been affected by cancer.  I learned the harsh reality of this disease when I was seven.  I lost a friend, Zachary Goza, to upper brain stem glioma.  Three years later, I lost my father to glioblastoma.

     When I first learned that my dad had cancer, I had a childlike faith that everything would be O.K.  Like every boy my age, I thought my father was invincible.  As time passed he had several surgeries, after which he would get better for a while, and then worse, but the headaches, the illness, and the memory problems never stopped him.  He still went to work, led his bible study group, and was a father to us.  His unwavering perseverance fueled my faith in his recovery.  Even after the last surgery, when he could barely walk and no longer communicate, his sharp mind and intense faith stayed.  A few months before my dad died, my mother called my brother and me into the living room where she and my father were sitting.  Tearfully, she broke the news: dad was not going to make it.

     Even though speaking was outside of his ability,  I could see his thoughts in his eyes.  He didn't want to leave his family behind.  The tears he shed were for us.  During the last months, while talking to my mother, he was able to say, "I'm sorry."  He was sorry that he had to leave his family behind and that he couldn't be the father he wanted to be.  He may not have been aware of it, but his role as a father was far from over.

     In those last months, he taught me more about life, love, and faith then anyone ever has or ever will.

     My dad was my biggest role model.  I looked up to him for everything.  He was a great writer and speaker and nurtured my ability to write.  He had a strong faith and, along with my mother, passed on that faith as he taught me how to be an upstanding man in a broken society.  He had a strong character and good work ethic, which he instilled in me.

       They say that the best way to teach someone is by example.  Though he couldn't talk much, he was able to speak to me on a whole new level.  The emotions that his sickness brought on caused me to create some of the best writings of my life.  He grew in his faith and practiced it any way he could, which inspired me to do the same.  He persevered and never gave up, because he knew that doing so would be not only giving up on life but giving up on his family.  One day, I hope to be a father like him.

     At his funeral, I had one thought on my mind.  He was in heaven now.

     Turns out, he was invincible after all.

 

     My dad had a love for biking, a love that I got while on a bike tour in Ohio with my family.  My mother and father had done the same tour years before I was born.  Now, in memory of my dad, Zachary Goza, and every other person affected by cancer, I will ride my bike from my home in Laplace to my school in New Orleans on April 12th, 2010.  The distance is forty miles.  The route includes a main road in my hometown, followed by a bike route which snakes along next to the Mississippi River.  Afterward it will take me down a few busy New Orleans streets before I arrive at Brother Martin High School.  I am doing this to raise awareness for cancer.  Hopefully, you will find it in your heart to donate to this worthy cause, either through my site or the site for Zachary.

     My friend's mother set up a similar fundraising account for her son.  Hopefully you will consider going to

www.4zachary.org

and contributing so she can reach her fundraising goal.

 

God Bless.