‘Cancer cannot take away my love’

Valerie Tankard of Overland Park, Kansas, shares her thoughts on battling invasive breast cancer.

“It has made me grateful for every day of life, and it has helped me to live more authentically. I have also developed some hobbies that I can enjoy while waiting for doctors/treatments lol.

“It is the saddest of the sad. I am currently cancer-free, but I had a recent scare. I just put it on the back burner where it simmers in low.”

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Valerie’s six words to describe her cancer experience are “Cancer cannot take away my love.” Share your six words here.

Valerie’s words, which were shared digitally through Tell KC, have been lightly edited for clarity.

As part of a local reporting project around the upcoming Ken Burns documentary series, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, KCPT presents Cancer in KC.

We want to learn more about how cancer affects our community. How has cancer impacted your life? Share your story.