We are proud of our Music City USA nickname and being known worldwide as America's music city.
We live in the Volunteer State — named for the Tennesseans who answered the call to volunteer during the War of 1812, and many of us continue that same spirit by volunteering today.
That sense of doing for others is why I spend my time working for the T.J. Martell Foundation, which supports cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Through my association with the foundation, I learned of another moniker for our region: the Cancer Belt.
You won't see it on the Chamber of Commerce Web site or in a tourism brochure, but it's a fact: We're more susceptible to cancer. Researchers point to traditional factors: general health, lifestyles and genetics. Studies continue to seek the reason why Tennesseans are more susceptible to this deadly disease.
April marks four years for me as a breast cancer survivor. I was lucky. I benefited from research that translated into a proven treatment program. A year ago, I toured Preston Lab and was introduced to a researcher whose specialty was breast cancer. It was an emotional moment; I thought of the possibilities their research holds for all the dear people I've met who struggle with cancer.
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