Many of us know a loved one who has or had cancer, and many are cancer survivors. When I was in my 20s, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and died seven months after at the age of 48. It was a shock for me and my family. Healing from this took time. While this is very personal to me, I know that cancer has impacted generations of many island families. We have our unique stories and yet we share the commonality of facing cancer.