U A B C O M P R E H E N S I V E C A N C E R C E N T E R 9

supporters. She has shared her story at several

of the center’s events, and out of apprecia-

tion for the excellent care she and her family

received at UAB, she established the Taylor-

Farley Research Fund in 2008 at the Cancer

Center to support the center’s high-priority

needs through the Fund for Excellence.

“My mother is a breast cancer survivor

and was treated here at UAB,” Ms. Taylor

says. “When I was going through my cancer

treatment, my aunt had breast cancer and

my uncle had prostate cancer. So there were

three of us undergoing treatment at the same

time, and I can say without a doubt that the

Cancer Center provides the best possible

medical care.”

tIME IN Despite the shock of going from abdominal

pain to cancer treatment with practically no

warning, Ms. Taylor made a deliberate effort

to remain positive. It’s a message she shares

with patients at UAB and survivors at Cancer

Center events. “It’s your life. You’ve got to

have hope,” she says. “You’ve got to take care

of yourself. You’ve got to have a positive atti-

tude, but you have to live it and do your best

to deal with the anxiety and the times when

you’re not feeling well.

“I have always enjoyed life, always,” Ms.

Taylor says. “So what I tried to remember

during my treatment was that every one of

those days was a day in my life. It wasn’t a

time-out. It’s a day in your life, and you do

whatever you can to enjoy it, appreciate it and

be happy in it.”

yOUR “It’s

LIfE. yOU’VE gOt tO hAVE hOpE.”