October marks the start of fall and the spooky Halloween season, but there is some- thing that is scarier than monsters and ghosts. Something that emerges in about 266,000 people each year, and that is breast cancer.

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month and is terrifying for those who know the dangers of it. Breast cancer is the rapid growth of breast cells in women and men alike. It is a diagnosis that can frighten the strongest of people and can have long-lasting effects for those who encounter it. Recently, two individuals came forward to voice their experience on the front lines of the disease.

Principal violist of the Dallas Opera and mother Liesl-Ann DeVilliers was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in 2019. She said that the hardest part of having breast cancer is the medication. “The challenge is Tamoxifen and what it does to your body. It had aged me significantly,” DeVilliers said.

Tamoxifen is a drug used to treat breast cancer as well as prevent it. DeVilliers is still on the drug even after she had part of her breast removed. According to the CDC, It is important to take the drug for about five years. This is to ensure that the cancer won’t develop again.

It isn’t just those with breast cancer who carry the trauma of a diagnoses. Dallas college student Shiva Jones had his grandmother taken away by breast cancer when he was just 15.

“I had to start taking care of her in a lot of ways. Just seeing her deteriorate mentally and physically was definitely a challenge,” he said. His grandmother was someone he most cherished.

Breast cancer Awareness Month is celebrated differently by all. From NFL players wearing pink to the pinning of the pink ribbon worn on clothing. The more people know, the more funding is possible for research.