It is May 3, and as I often do at lunch time, I have been reading the Daily Star. The front page contains a very important message that more people need to pay attention to. “Hope Grows” Luncheon and the message featured speaker, Dr. Michael Schuknecht, gave that day.

Everyone should have yearly medical testing to screen for cancer. You may one day be one of those that have a doctor say, “you have cancer,” or that he or she tells you that you had cancer removed. I can personally tell you that it is a day you will never ever forget!

April 1st (no joke), 2016, as I lay in a bed at Lakeland Hospital in Niles, Dr. Habericht told me that he had removed stage 1 colon cancer. Had I not had my yearly checkup followed by a required colonoscopy, my future may have been very different. Not a day goes by that I don’t include in my prayer a “thank you” to God that I am here today to spend time with my family.

So, people, get those tests done! And yes, I also thank the staff at Lakeland Surgery Center and Lakeland Niles Hospital.

Lena Young

Pokagon Township