Why I Wear The Shirt

I wear my F*@k Cancer shirt because that's exactly how I feel about it. My best friend's sister gave it to me as a gift, as well as to my best friend, Andy. Usually I would have a problem wearing a shirt with that kind of 'vulgarity' on it around different people I respected in my life, but I don't. These people don't seem to mind one bit either. I am 19 and am currently in my 26th month of fighting a tumor called a Synovial Sarcoma that metastasized to my lungs and other parts of my body. The past year imparticularly has been extremely rough and the doctor's have told me that there is basically nothing else medically they can do to improve my situation except to keep me comfortable until my time comes. This is why I wear the shirt, to bring smiles to other people's faces and to show how i truly feel about this terrible disease. I hope yall continue to fight hard and bring joy to other people with your shirts and possibly other merchandise that may come out in the future. Stay Strong!

- Paul

Why I Wear The Shirt

This past Fall my father was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Even at 37 it is very sobering to watch a parent become mortal. It was at this point I began training with Team in Training to run the ING half-marathon in his honor. My F*ck Cancer shirt drove me on the mornings when it was 20 degrees out and I did not want to get up to run. When faced with a long hill at the 11th mile, I just thought about my father and went at it.

In April, I ran the ING half-marathon wearing my shirt. It was such a boost when fellow racers and spectators would begin cheering loudly when they saw me coming. Cheers like "great shirt", "you said it" and "yeah, F*ck Cancer", kept me going when I needed it most.

The biggest boost came when I saw my father wearing his shirt at the end of mile 11.

Now I try to do a run every month and every time I wear my shirt to honor my father.

- Andy

Why I Wear The Shirt

I wear the shirt, because it captures the first thought that came to
my mind when I found out about Lisa. I mean, once the original shock
wore off, of what I was hearing....so it was possibly my second
thought. Lisa, who threw my bridal shower as one of my bridesmaids;
and two weeks before had celebrated not only her 34th birthday but
her engagement and pregnancy too. At her birthday dinner party we sat
around the table celebrating all of her joy and confidence in the
future and seemingly endless possibilities. Three weeks later, I get
the call and Lisa has been diagnosed with leukemia.

I wanted to help. I wanted to fight for her. My friend and I started
Team Lisa to raise $10,000, a small portion of the $600,000 she would
need for her bone marrow transplant. (And that is with her insurance
covering 80%.) We started raising money by training for a Half
Ironman. 400 hours of training at $25 an hour equals our goal of
$10,000. Our shirts drew attention. Our shirts raised money. Our
shirts made other cancer survivors or those who knew friends and
family battling cancer smile and nod. On race day, as soon as we
stripped off of our wet suits, on came our shirts over the tri-gear
for the bike and the run. People clapped and pointed at our shirts,
people stopped us and asked us where we got the shirt, people asked
how they too could help.

I wear the shirt now, with its ripped off sleeves, on days when I
don’t feel like running but go anyway. It reminds me that I can run
and Lisa cannot. I wear it days, when I want to send her extra
energy vibes, when she is too weak to talk or even listen to
encouragement. I wear it too, because it always get a second look. I
love the half a second of an extra glance from a stranger, that tells
me without saying, “my thoughts exactly”.

- Jen

Why I Wear The Shirt

Jeff & I love your shirts. With Jeff completing his 3rd round of chemo this week, it seems fitting to wear the shirt as much as possible! I wear the shirt because I think it is funny & adds humor to what some might see as a sad situation. I also wear it to start a conversation with others. My big mission right now is to encourage friends & relatives to be in charge of their health. Ask questions & if something seems off physically...go get it checked out! Jeff did & it saved his life! Love the blog, love the shirts!

- Melissa

My first post

My husband and I started Cancer Free Tees (www.cancerfreetees.com) as a way to honor my mother and her triumph over colon cancer. It was just a simple idea that we felt would let us be able to give something back and help find better treatment and ultimately a cure for cancer - all types of cancer.

In the 18 months since our start, it seems that cancer has become a regular part of our life. Maybe it's age, maybe it's awareness, maybe it's people being more open about cancer, but we are certainly affected
more by cancer now than 18 months ago.

My father-in-law just finished his treatment for non-hodgkin's lymphoma. A friend is currently under-going treatment for breast cancer. Another friend is being treated for hodgkin's lymphoma. And yet another friend is in the maintenance stage for his non-hodgkin's lymphoma.

With cancer impacting so many people's lives, we have started this blog to highlight the people who wear our F*@k Cancer shirts and their stories.

I wear the shirt to honor my mother and my father-in-law who have faced their respective cancers with a positive spirit and a ton of attitude.

I hope you visit our blog frequently to be inspired, so tell us why you wear the shirt.