It is often said that courage is not having the strength to go on, it is going on when you have not strength. Ruth Walker, CEO of Courage Through Cancer in Riverview, would agree with this statement because she, too, found the strength to go on when she felt like she could not after her husband, Deacon Darryl Walker, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He was the inspiration for starting Courage Through Cancer.
“My husband displayed courage through his cancer and he maintained his faith and took time out to encourage others,” Walker said. “It got to the point where we maintained our faith and our positivity and others began to seek us out at Moffitt as well as Florida Cancer Center to offer prayers or encouragement to others.”
The mission of Courage Through Cancer is to help one who will reach one. So many people are hurt beyond what we see. There is no preparation in losing a loved one and no words for watching them suffer. “At Courage Through Cancer, we cannot change your circumstances, but we can love you and be your support through it,” Walker said. “Our goal at Courage Through Cancer is to help patients and families financially, spiritually and in areas of comfort living to enable them to be consoled during their time of need. God has given us this mission and in being obedient to His will, our heart’s mission is to open our doors for you to come and receive all that He has to offer for His people.”
One of the projects that Walker is currently working on to help expand Courage Through Cancer’s mission is building the Darryl Anthony House in honor of her late husband. “The Darryl Anthony House is one of our main objectives,” Walker said. “It’s a place for the weak and weary. As a caregiver, you can bring your burdens to the Darryl Anthony House. A home named after a man who prayed without ceasing throughout his battle. The best part about visiting the Darryl Anthony House is that you bring your anxieties, your worries and your fears and you get to leave them there and leave with a renewed spirit.”
If you would like to learn more about Courage Through Cancer, or if you would like to make a donation to help build the Darryl Anthony House, you can www.couragethroughcancer.org or call Walker at 900-9878.
