Cancer sucks for the person and the family. People with cancer have to fight like hell to stay strong. It’s even worse when little kids and teens have it. Cancer can make someone want to just die and sometimes it can make people lose faith in God or whatever they believe in. Having family and friends that you really care about with it or that died with it sucks a whole lot, but when they kick cancers butt, it feels good to have that smile on everyone's face.

In April 2017, Gene was told he had lung cancer he was given 16 months to live with it and do chemo, it gave him the worst fight of his life. It’s now been 7 months he has had sickness and been weak and still kept a smile. He had long brown soft hair, he doesn’t anymore but he’s getting it back. He’s not the only one in my family that has cancer, a lot of people got told they had cancer about the same time we found out about Gene and it kinda hit all at the same time and that really sucked for the little kids who don’t really understand what’s going on.
Gene is my grandpa and he is one of the only people that I can really talk to about anything that I need to. He has always been there and I kinda think that it’s not fair that he got to see my sister and brother go through high school but I don’t know if he will be able to see me go through. He told me he would be there for every softball game, every powerlifting meet, and some football games. He told me that no matter what happened he was going to be there when I walk across the stage both times because I have to be the first Burns to go to college. My cousin got cancer when he was 12 and passed away in his sleep at the age of 19 he was a really good kid he was into radios and loved his horses that was his identity. It was hard to lose him because I was only five and he was my favorite cousin ever, and his mom and dad sold the horses and the house his dad couldn’t live there anymore.

The moment my dad called to tell me that I wasn't going to church because we were having a family dinner I knew something was wrong with him he told us that everything would be okay but nothing really was the same everyone cried a lot and said that we love him. I had to walk out because I kept thinking “why does this happen to good people what did they do to get this?” I would pray but sometimes it felt like it wasn’t working but it really was because now he is doing better and starting to travel so him and his wife can see the world before he gets sick again. The sad thing of it all is if he travels I won’t get to spend time with him and if something happens I won’t be there.Now it’s November 2017 and he has passed he had lung cancer and it caused him to go into liver failure. He passed away on 11/15/17 at exactly 12:36 it was the hardest day of my life. The day after was bad to and the Friday I had to go back to school everyone just kept saying I’m sorry for your loss I hope your okay like it means something to me I just wish the pain would be over. We have been through everything together we are probably the closest family ever to be on earth. Out of the world I think I got blessed with the best family ever we all love and support each other and we take care of everyone. This will most definitely be the hardest Thanksgiving and Christmas ever but we will get through it. We are going to Tennessee to spread his ashes and it’s probably going to be the hardest thing ever but we have each other forever and always.