Each poem and origin story in this collection was created for team members of the American Cancer Society’s Patient Support Pillar as part of the “My Why” professional development program – a space to reflect on purpose, resilience, and connection to the ACS mission.
About this Anthology
Through one-on-one sessions over Zoom, Listener Poets from The Good Listening Project asked each participant a simple, powerful question: “What would you like your poem to be about?”
Then, they listened.
These conversations opened windows into personal stories, motivations, and the unique “why” that inspires each person’s work. This anthology brings together those poems and stories as a testament to the purpose-driven spirit of the ACS community.
Inside these pages are expressions of courage, connection, love, and humanity. We invite every person who opens this book to join Patient Support team members in their reflection – because we all have a story worth sharing.
Throughout her 25 years with the American Cancer Society, her “why” has evolved. She believes that most of those who have connected with ACS began with a personal connection, but then, according to her, “you evolve, and you shift.”
With her background in counseling and psychology, she works to bring people together and support patients. When she and her husband lived in New Jersey, she answered an ad in a newspaper for the American Cancer Society. Her father-in-law’s struggle with leukemia made the work personal: “Maybe this is my calling.”
This poemee wanted to leave a legacy of doing good in this world. Although at times she becomes discouraged about the inequalities in the world, she is determined to do her part by making sure everyone has access to quality healthcare.
This person radiated gratitude and hope. She shared that she discovered she was expecting a son just before receiving a lung cancer diagnosis at the age of 31. Despite the challenges, she expressed profound gratitude for living in a human body and reflected on her transformative journey of self-discovery.
A teenage cancer survivor, this poemee shared how she learned from the younger children she witnessed undergoing the same treatment she was. “You just see a difference in the way a child approaches it,” she said. “They have the moment, they have the pain, they have the shot, and then they just go back to playing. I always took strength from the way little kids would handle it.”
“I’ve experienced a lot of big losses,” she said. “I want to be a beacon of hope and light, keeping the flame lit for cancer prevention.”
