ASHTON COLLIER Poems

Ashton Collier 1-15-2010 James Rhio O’Conner Scholarship
James Rhio O’Connor despite his illness was motivated by a losing hand, he set the standard for what it takes to excel from a level greater than success, and he impelled and extended the time frame given by his prognosis to elevate his mind and spirit. The leap he took was astronomical and brave; he knew it was more to life than cancer so he climbed the ladder non stop researching special ways to treat his cancer prognosis.

James Rhio O’Connor had one of the worst incurable cancers; Mesothelioma, it’s a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos; the cancer affects the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall and also the lining of the abdominal cavity. Asbestos is commonly found in homes, apartments, buildings and work sites, and it’s about 150,000 workers that die from Asbestos exposure every year, so I can’t imagine the pain he went through with his prognosis.
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