"Imagine being 23 years old and hearing the words 'You've got squamous-cell cancer.' Most people I know at that age are just finishing up college, starting their careers, falling in love, buying their first homes, etc. Carolyn Benedict had the world at her fingertips when she was struck with the news, and everything came to a screeching halt."
A bunch of people around town have been buzzing about the F**k Cancer Benefit going down at the Mercy Lounge tonight - and for very good reason, because the show is featuring an extremely kick-ass local lineup: The Features, Ricky Young and the Slow Films, Cassino, Tommy and the Whale and Pico vs. Island Trees. The amazing bill alone should be enough to bring you out for the evening, but a lot of people don't know the story behind the actual benefit - so I did a little digging to figure out what it's all about and found this myspace page.
The story begins with that paragraph I quoted above, and this is what follows:
"In August 2007, Carolyn thought she had a canker sore in her mouth that didn't seem to go away. Realizing this wasn't normal for her, she took the initiative and went to the doctor immediately to get it checked out. The mass in her mouth turned out to be squamous-cell carcinoma. Strange for a girl who was healthy and happy as a clam and never smoked a day in her life. She underwent major surgery on her mouth and on her neck, where the doctors removed her lymph nodes as a precautionary measure. The surgery was a success and they believed they removed all of the cancer cells. Carolyn, her family and her friends were all very excited about this, and we all keep hoping that she remains healthy and cancer-free. The world is at her fingertips once again. The current problem lies in her financial situation."
At the time of her diagnosis, Carolyn was working as a coffee barista at Fido and didn't have health insurance - which means she is currently in a massive amount of medical debt, and the F**k Cancer Benefit hopes to raise money for her medical fund. Admission to the show is a minimum donation of $10, and there will also be a silent auction "full of goodies for people to bid on." But this event isn't just about raising money to help Carolyn - it's also about raising awareness.
"Why is it called F**k Cancer? Because we all need to take charge against this fiendish disease that affects billions of people worldwide. We all need to keep Carolyn and her courageousness in mind, and her quick reaction to something abnormal on her body. This reaction possibly saved her life, and she has set an example that we all need to follow."
The sad news is that in this day and age we all know someone who has been affected by cancer; I personally know someone who lost a loved one specifically because they hesitated to get something checked out until it was already too late. Fortunately, however, more and more of us now know cancer survivors, and that's often because of quick reactions like Carolyn's. Tonight's benefit is about celebrating her and anyone else we know who has conquered cancer, and the American Cancer Society will be there helping us educate ourselves on the differences we can make to beat the disease.
Oh, and like I said, there's a kick-ass local lineup. I'm pretty sure no one who reads this blog still needs me to point them in the direction of The Features, but... I just did. And Pico vs. Island Trees is becoming one of new favorite local acts - they're starting pretty promptly at nine, so make sure you're there on time. Tommy and the Whale, Cassino and Ricky Young & the Slow Films round out the bill. Like I mentioned above, there is a $10 minimum donation at the door.
For more information - visit the F**k Cancer myspace page.
And here's a little something to listen to:
The Features - "Leave It All Behind"
Pico vs. Island Trees - "Open Doors"
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