Area woman raising cancer awareness

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Megan Metcalfe was a junior in high school, just 17 years old when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"I was stage three of four so I was pretty -- I had a two centimeter mass in my neck, a seven centimeter mass in my chest, and lesions in my pancreas," she said.

But Metcalfe made the best of her diagnosis by educating others about the disease. She says staying positive helped her get through the tough days during seven months of chemotherapy.

The Akron woman has been cancer free for seven years now and continues to celebrate the milestone.

"I don't want people to be so fearful of it. Sure, it's not easy and it's a terrible disease, and we need organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to raise awareness to find a cure someday," said Metcalfe.

She will be a guest speaker Friday at the second annual Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year ceremony in Westlake.

Nine teams of students from the area -- from Chagrin Falls to Akron -- spent months raising money and awareness to help fight the disease. Last year they raised $30,000.

"I wish that I had an opportunity like this when I was in high school to make such a positive impact," Metcalfe said.

Metcalfe says the biggest impact that anyone can have is not taking life for granted.

"Enjoy the little moments, the time that you have with your friends and family, and don't take things seriously," she said.

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