By Anna Skinner
Aurmaudra Bradley has had her fair share of family experience with cancer, losing her mother to lung cancer in 2009. So she decided to make a difference, but is doing something a little more untraditional than a fundraising event.
“I am an advocate with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network which is a group of volunteers, and we are fighting to make cancer a legislative priority for Congress on a state and federal level,” Bradley said.
Bradley took the trip to Washington, D.C. from Sept. 27 to Sept. 30 to meet with Congress and ask them to support different bills centered on cancer research.
After a group presents, a Congress member decides to co-sponsor the bill. Bradley will follow up with in a few weeks and encourage action.
“There’s been a reduction in real dollars in the money going to medical research in general, and we are specifically concerned with cancer,” Bradley said. “We want to increase that funding by a billion dollars over the next five years for the National Cancer Institute.”
When Bradley lived in Indianapolis she was a volunteer for the congressional district. Once she moved to Westfield, she became the state’s lead ambassador, making her a volunteer not just for the district, but the entire state. Her leadership role allowed her to take the trip to D.C.
Bradley said her experience with seeing her mother sick with lung cancer helped inspire her to get involved.
“That’s what motivated me to really get involved. It’s just very close to home,” Bradley said. “That’s where my interest peaked.”
Since there is no immediate bill for Congress to sign, Bradley encourages people to visit ascscan.org.
“It’s the best place to engage in anything related to this,” Bradley said.
Contact information is on the site, as well as a place for people to ask questions and receive information.