Don't Give Up, Don't Ever Give Up

Posted: Thursday, December 01, 2011 by Travis Cody in
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Re-posting, as has become tradition here at Trav's Thoughts.  Every year, approximately 6.2 million people die from cancer.  This post is dedicated to anyone who has lost someone to cancer, to anyone who may be battling cancer right now or know someone who is, and also to all of you cancer survivors out there.




It's Jimmy V week in college basketball. It's a week of nearly 50 college basketball games in 10 days across the country, including the Coaches vs Cancer Classic, the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, and the Big East/SEC Challenge. The games feature healthy young men and women playing the game with passion and emotion.

The games also help raise awareness about cancer and funds for cancer research.

In what has become an annual post for me, I ask you once again to take 10 minutes and watch Jim Valvano's inspiring speech at the 1993 ESPY awards.



Jim Valvano (1946-1993) died of cancer less than two months after giving this speech.  In the 19 years since the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research was established, it has raised more than $100 million.

The motto for the foundation is "Don't give up, don't ever give up". 


NC State, coached by Jimmy V, beat Houston in the most improbable upset ever to win the 1983 NCAA Basketball Championship. They never gave up. And they created March Madness.



You may click here or on the graphics in my sidebar to read more about the work the V Foundation and the Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund do, and to make a donation should you choose.


Please remember the words of Coach Valvano..."Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."

Peace to you all.

10 comments:

  1. Jean(ie) says:
    01 December, 2011 05:18

    I recently read a most wonderful book about cancer -- From Incurable to Incredible. There is always hope... Always!

  1. Ivanhoe says:
    01 December, 2011 06:15

    Great cause! How come I never heard of them? ACS and Susan G. Komen are the most known here in Cleveland area...

  1. Finding Pam says:
    01 December, 2011 06:23

    What an inspiring man he was. Beautiful post, Travis. I loved his passion for life.

    My mother died of lung cancer. It was a horrible way to die. I beg anyone that still smokes to stop today.

  1. Jeni says:
    01 December, 2011 09:28

    Thanks for a really good, very positive post, Trav. As you may remember, I'm a two-time survivor of cancer in the past decade. First colo-rectal almost 9 years ago and then, last year, uterine or endometrial cancer. My theory is that cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence but it does take some work and discomfort too in order to get medications and such to rid one's system of the disease. I do no worry, per se, about getting cancer again mainly because with my family medical history and my own now, I pretty much accept that it will visit me again just have no idea when. But I'm not looking at that as a fearful entity but rather as just the next challenge for me to give it my best shot to conquer and stick around for a while longer. Worrying about a disease like cancer or any other one for that matter, in my opinion, just makes us more susceptible towards making our bodies a safe haven for such things to take hold. Take each day, each problem, each gift, as each arrives and make the best of it then and after as well. Find things of interest or that fascinate or that are loved and work towards inner goals with those things at the back of one's mind. Faith and hope are excellent items to keep in abundance in one's tool chest for life.

  1. Vinny "Bond" Marini says:
    01 December, 2011 16:58

    Always a heartwarming, inspiring post. Thanks for keeping this great cause out there Travis.

  1. Cherie says:
    01 December, 2011 20:07

    I guess that it means that I'm a faithful reader because when I saw the title of this post, I knew the topic. Always good for the reminder. :)

  1. Debra says:
    01 December, 2011 22:23

    Still inspires!

  1. Mike Golch says:
    02 December, 2011 08:17

    he was a class act for sure.

  1. Anonymous says:
    02 December, 2011 08:47

    This is always so inspiring to read. Thank you, from someone who lost someone to cancer.

  1. John Holland says:
    02 December, 2011 17:59

    Thanks for the post. My Dad passed away over four years ago from cancer.

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