Argumentative Essay: Breast Cancer Awareness

To me, cancer is the pesky neighbor that shows up uninvited when everyone least expects it. I saw this neighbor take my grandfather, and then it came back again in the form of breast cancer. The news came as a shock when I learned that a family friend had developed this disease. She was my mother’s closest friend, but to me, she was known as Aunt Sarah since I had practically known her my entire life. The news about her diagnosis frightened us all. Unfortunately, Aunt Sarah passed away just a few weeks later, leaving us all with the harsh reality of death. I remember comforting my mother who saw Aunt Sarah as more of a sister than anything. Several months passed before I saw my mother’s smile.
Although I thought of her often, it was not until high school that I found a way to honor the memory of Aunt Sarah. I noticed a flyer about a club called HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America). Being the largest and most healthcare oriented club at my school, it is hard to pass up the chance to become a part of this competition-based organization. Working with a group of friends, we competed in the Community Awareness competition, in which the topic could be anything; however, I knew exactly what subject I wanted to pursue. …show more content…
We held picnics to remember those that we lost, but also took direct action by raising money for mammograms and research through countless fundraisers, making awareness shirts and wristbands in the process. We won in the district competition and placed in the top five teams at the state level, having donated thousands of dollars to various breast cancer foundations. Although we started small, we grew every year, participating in walks, passing out awareness brochures, and much