Cancer Survivors Celebrate
SBUMC “DOC” BAND, HUNDREDS OF SURVIVORS CELEBRATE LIFE AT NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVORS DAY
| Hundreds of cancer survivors (in orange shirts) assembled outside the SBU Cancer Center and Center for Outpatient Services |
STONY BROOK, NY, June 6, 2008 – With live rock-n-roll, games like”Dunk-a-Doc” for kids, and plenty of healthy smiles and
| SBUMC physician-led band during National Cancer Survivors Day. |
bright sunshine, Stony Brook University Medical Center’s fourth annual National Cancer Survivors Day® was a hit for the hundreds of patients, their families, and the physicians and staff of SBUMC. The event was held on June 1 at the Stony Brook University Cancer Center and Center for Outpatient Services.
Called “Survivor Stony Brook,” the event featured the popular “Survivor” television show theme. Those attending celebrate survivorship not from the difficulties of living on a tropical island, but from facing and beating deadly forms of cancer. National Cancer Survivors Day is a yearly event held in hundreds of communities nationwide and around the world. According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 11 million Americans are cancer survivors.
“This year was our best celebration yet and a wonderful tribute to the many cancer survivors who have been treated at Stony Brook,” said Linda Bily, of the Department of Radiology and Chair of SBUMC’s National Cancer Survivors Day.
Highlighting the celebration was live music from “Practicing Without a License,” an instrumental band made largely of players who have a day job – practicing physicians and other healthcare professionals at SBUMC. The band rocked out with pop and rock tunes from the 1960s to today, including a truly doctor-led version of “Bad Case of Lovin You.”
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Becky Smith, center, a 23-year-old survivor of pediatric cancer, walks with children and other survivors. |
The “Parade of Survivors” brought cancer survivors, from children to seniors, together in a special way. Delivering the “Survivor” speech was Becky Smith, a 23-year-old survivor of pediatric cancer. Becky talked about her journey beating cancer and the bond she developed with very young cancer patients. The experience inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. This fall she will enroll in the nursing program at SBUMC and hopes to specialize in caring for children with cancer.
