A Benicia Resident Who Will Vote for Prop. 29

Dawnelda Scott, 46, owes her life to cancer research. The Benicia local was in the process of quitting smoking when her doctors found a tumor in her lung. With Scott's stage IIIA diagnosis, her chance of survival was just 15 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. But it was more than just her faith, she says, that got her through the past two and a half years.

“Before I was diagnosed – I wasn't sick – I didn't have any symptoms,” Scott explains. “One of my doctors said I was losing too much weight and sent me for some tests. A few days later, I was prepping for chemotherapy and radiation treatment.” Scott immediately quit smoking and focused on getting well.

“Dawnelda's cancer was advanced and required chemotherapy, radiation and surgery,” explains John T. Ganey, M.D., Board Certified medical oncologist at Epic Care, Partners in Cancer Care. “Every patient is different. We have to devise a unique plan that will work specifically for the individual. Some of the options we have today and the ways we can tailor treatment are only available to us because of the cancer research findings from over the past few decades,” says Dr. Ganey.

“My treatment was so vastly different from my uncle who battled cancer,” Scott explains. “Back then, chemotherapy was harsh and severe. My experience was completely different because so much had changed in the last 20 years. With continued research, we'll be able to find cancer earlier and treat it even better. It's the reason I'm voting for Proposition 29 on June 3,” Scott says.
Proposition 29, or the California Cancer Research Act, is a bill to increase taxes on cigarette packs by $1 to be put towards cancer research.

Dr. Ganey says the purpose is really two-fold, from prevention to care. “If one person is deterred from smoking, it's a victory. If one person is given a life-saving drug, it's a victory.”

“Many Epic Care oncologists are active in clinical studies to improve our patients' lives here in the East Bay area. This initiative can, and will, impact many patients by offering new, cutting-edge modalities and new hope in the fight against cancer.”

“The doctors at Epic Care were like my family. They never made me feel guilty, but kept me positive and hopeful that tomorrow would be here,” Scott says. “Most importantly, they made sure I met my granddaughter. She was born just after my last chemotherapy treatment. Once she was born, I knew I had to, and could, beat this disease.  I would vote for Prop 29 a thousand times if I could for a better chance for my granddaughter.”

Scott now spends her days focusing on the positive. “During my treatment I always embraced the idea of getting better. I never wanted cancer to define me. I want to be known as Dawnelda, who just happens to be a former smoker and now cancer survivor, but is seen as someone who lives life to the fullest.”

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If there’s something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor JB Davis at 707-628-0051 or email him at benicia@patch.com.