Breast cancer.

Two extremely heavy words. If you would ask a crowd of people to raise a hand if they have been affected in some way by breast cancer, nearly every single hand would immediately touch the clouds. Whether it’s a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a teacher, almost everyone knows a person whose life has been forever changed by the disease.

When we think of the “could haves” or what we “should have” in modern technology and advancements, a lot of people think there should be flying cars or robots in the place of professors. However, when I think of the fact that we are well into the 21^st century, I wonder why so many women are still impacted by breast cancer and why there isn’t a cure. Why are so many loved ones dying and suffering from this aggressive cancer when others advancements are underway? It is 2017, and over 41,000 people will die from breast cancer by the end of the year. 41,000. When I read that number, my heart dropped in my chest. That could mean 41,000 daughters will lose their mothers (or even fathers) this year. It means 41,000 funerals. It means 41,000 innocent people will take their last breath because there isn’t a cure for breast cancer.

If this statistic doesn’t make you angry, you need to wake up.

People always say that “it won’t happen to them.” Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to become educated and leave ignorance behind. 1 in 8 United States women will develop breast cancer in her life time. For my college peers reading this, that’s about 12 of your friends in your large biology lecture class. That’s almost 40 of your sorority sisters. A huge reason why I joined my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, was because of its philanthropy, Breast Cancer Awareness and Education. My aunt had been diagnosed for years by the time I was initiated, but what it meant to have breast cancer was really distant to me because my aunt was always so strong and courageous. This summer, breast cancer took my aunt’s life. My sorority’s philanthropy suddenly became very real and very tangible; my family member became part of the 41,000 incredibly strong women who lost the fight. Suddenly, wearing our pink ribbons meant something more than wearing our letters; it meant fighting for something greater than ourselves.

ZTA fights hard to spread awareness for this disease. We raise money through profit shares, donations, our annual Big Man On Campus event, and so much more. Maybe if more people stood with us in our efforts, we could efficiently stand up to breast cancer.

To the people who think one person donating a few dollars doesn’t help, this is for you: there are so many ways to raise awareness. Educate others to perform self-examinations. Donate to help fund research on this disease. Use the five dollars you would have spent on a cup of coffee and help potentially save a life. I would rather spend a few bucks in order to get an inch closer to a cure rather than sit back and let another woman helplessly die. We need to work together in order to fight this. Do it for your neighbor’s mom. Do it for your distant relative. Do it for my aunt. 41,000 will never, ever be okay.

Breast cancer.

Two extremely heavy words. But it’s not too late. Instead of saying these words with feelings of pain and loss, let’s be able to say them with triumph because we beat it. Stand with Zeta Tau Alpha, stand with your community, and stand with me in order to turn 41,000 into 0.