My name is Glenn Gutierrez and at 48 years of age I had never contemplated the idea of having to deal with cancer and its treatment. It was hard to think that potentially I could succumb to this, especially when I was father to two young men who still needed me, and son to an aging mother who sadly passed on from complications related to Alzheimer's while I underwent treatment.
Since my diagnosis, I've been amazed at how many people are touched by cancer. In fact, I was surprised that people I knew had recently become ill or had been fighting the disease for some time, and sadly most have passed on now. I've always tried to share a lesson with my boys that I learned once, and that is that we need to understand a few things in life, and they are: * Know your roots, where you came from," "Know where you want to go, develop a plan," "Enjoy and take in the journey," "Give back/contribute once you have arrived," and "Teach the younger generations."
In doing so, and having my boys see and learn through my experiences, I hope that I become a hero in their eyes!