Sherry Galloway

About Sherry Galloway

The two most important men in Sherry Galloway’s life were diagnosed with prostate cancer – her husband Tom, then 54 years-old and her 34 year-old son Jeremy. Sherry is now an advocate for prostate cancer research and had the opportunity to speak before congress on behalf of theProstate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Her emotional story of her husband’s run-in with prostate cancer and losing the battle of cancer with her only son was heard by thousands and her excerpts are shared below. Her efforts towards the insidious disease continue as she helps to find a cure for prostate cancer.

“I would give anything to have my son alive and cancer free. Jeremy’s prostate cancer was diagnosed four years after my husband’s diagnosis – he was 34, and 18 months later, he was dead. As I speak today, I do so to stand up for my son, Jeremy, and to tell you what he has given to prostate cancer research.”

“On November 23, 2007, Jeremy gave his greatest gift to prostate cancer research – his very body. He went to University of California, San Francisco to be used for research at his request; he was 36 years-old. Jeremy had one life and one body to give to prostate cancer research and he gave it all.”

“It would be impossible for you to match the contribution he made to research to end this disease. I simply ask as Jeremy would, for you to invest for more prostate cancer research so that you can make a difference to other mothers, wives, sisters and daughters,” added Galloway.

Galloway promotes prostate cancer awareness through her work as a nurse and by providing free written literature about prostate cancer and the need for prevention and early screening. Her message shares that prostate cancer is not only “an old man’s disease,” – about one percent, or 300 men under the age of 40, die annually from prostate cancer. She has organized a memorial Great Prostate Cancer Challenge run with ZERO in Albuquerque to both honor her son and to raise community awareness about a disease that kills men at all ages.

“If 300 doesn’t sound like a large enough number for you to focus on increased research funding – if the 300 mothers like me who have to spend the rest of their lives wondering why they outlived their children aren’t enough to motivate you to increase funding – please think about the 32,000 men who will die this year from prostate cancer. That makes prostate cancer the second-leading cause of male cancer-related death in the United States,” added Sherry.

Galloway plans to continue her advocacy efforts as a Board of Directors member of ZERO, speaking to New Mexico Representatives and Senators and promoting educational information on her Facebook account.

You can read the entire transcript of Sherry’s testimony before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense here.

*****

Do you have a story that you would like to share? Tell us.