Patch Brandon, FL --Shirley Dunaway Outen and her daughter, Kim Mitchell, along with their husbands and their daughter and granddaughter, Olivia, have participated in the Plant City Relay For Life before, even last year as Mitchell battled stage 4 colon cancer.
Mitchell won that battle and was declared cancer-free; only weeks ago, cancer returned in other spots of her body and the fight continues.
By her daughter's side Outen stands, and after a recent outing to the Lakeland Regional Cancer Center, she put pen to paper to record her thoughts, as noted below. In awe of the cancer fighter's strength under adversity, Outen likened the chemotherapy wing to the ancient coliseum — and the survivor to the gladiator within.
"It's like they're given a set of weapons and handlers and they're thrown into the arena and all they can do is fight and hope," Outen said in an interview. "Some of them are older and have been through this before but they still keep fighting. They younger ones, it's their first time around and they're scared and they don't know what to expect. The battle-weary warriors don't know what their fate is anymore than the younger ones."
It's that courage under adversity that Outen finds remarkable, as she gives testament to its display in her own daughter's battle.
"That's her personality, that's the way she has always handled anything she approached in life," Outen said. "If she tells you she's going to do something she's going to do her damndest to do it."
That Kim Mitchell would be fighting cancer before age 50 is not something the family had expected; there is no family history of cancer.
What Outen does know is now they are on the receiving end of all the good the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life movement can bring in terms of raising awareness, supporting cancer fighters and striving to find a cure.
The family has participated before in the Plant City Relay For Life "out of compassion and very strong feelings that something needs to be done," Outen said. "All of a sudden we're put on the receiving end of things and it's very strange, but very comforting to now there are people who still do this, people who we don't even know, who relay for life."
· *See Plant City, Seffner Relays For Life Set To Go Tonight (April 19)*
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*Shirley Dunaway Outen's Reflections on a Daughter's Fight With Cancer*
As we walk into the chemotherapy wing of the cancer center I am struck by how the patients are not unlike ancient gladiators entering the coliseum to engage in a fight for their lives. As they are prepared and tethered to their weapons a quiet desperation settles over them while they gird themselves for battle against a frightening and formidable foe.
Some of these noble warriors are old and battle weary. Some are young and scared in the anticipation of what the future will bring. All of them question the reason why they were thrust into such an unrelentingly cruel arena.
Is some unseen deity angry at them regarding some unimaginable transgression against omnipotent power? Are the warriors being held to a higher standard of pain and suffering to show lesser mortals what fate might befall them? Or is it in truth simply just the luck of the draw, where destiny pounds with clenched steel, wrapped fists and slashes with finely honed swords against unsuspecting wretches who have done nothing whatsoever in life to deserve the war in which they must now engage?
To my way of thinking none of them deserve this, no matter the reason.
Regardless, they fight on with the resolve that the oppressor will go down in defeat never to be faced again. And, as an observer, I, with all the strength I can muster, silently cheer for each of the warriors. I would gladly, happily, joyously enter the arena replacing my own daughter and fight to the death if necessary in order to spare her this battle. I, and so many others, wrap her in a mantle of protective love while she fights on.
Reported by Patch 9 hours ago.