Dear Editor:

At the urging of my physical therapist, it was suggested that I continue on at the YMCA through the national Livestrong program, which is made through a grant.

I went to the Y on Friday morning to sign up for class starting March 4 and was told it had been canceled. I left and decided to find why they would put a big sign at the Y for the program; it was still there Saturday. Mrs. Hamblett submitted an article to the Register talking about how great the program was for cancer survivors. Lori Murray, an instructor as well as cheerleader, stated this was the best thing the Y has ever done.

I called the Y and spoke with Carrie Eason as to what the issue might be. I was told there weren't enough people signed up. I asked Carrie how many people had signed up. She told me two; I would have been three. The magic number (drum roll please) is five.

But the story doesn't end there. The three of us have until sometime in the fall to find the elusive two cancer survivors to attain the magical five. Usually cancer patients or cancer patients in remission worry about the numbers in blood counts, not about how many it takes to have a class. Eason says in the article, “The beauty of this program is that it works for each and every one of them.”

Executive Director Andy Hamblett says the plan is to have graduate school instructors in the fall. Maybe by fall they will have the trainers back for their summer jobs, seeing that was the reason given for the spring/summer hiatus.

Bruce Crosby
Living with cancer
Southport