By Rhonda Westfall

His 20-year anniversary as a cancer survivor is going to be busy for Brandon White III.

The fact that 2002 also marks the first anniversary of his fifth bout with the killer disease makes his volunteer work in support of the American Cancer Society even more meaningful.

"I certainly wouldn't wish cancer on anybody," White says of his off-and-on battle that began in 1982. "But, in the greater scheme of things, maybe God is keeping me around to help others who are struggling with it."

White recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Washington D.C., coordinated by the ACS Great Lakes Division as part of National Lobby Day. He talked with numerous Michigan legislators about national events planned by the ACS in 2002, asked for support of cancer research funding and for co-sponsors of the Helms-Kennedy bill.

That particular piece of legislation which would ensure private insurance coverage of the full range of colorectal cancer screening options according to ACS guidelines really piqued White's interest, due in part to the diverse viewpoints the bill's sponsors usually have.

"When Sen. (Edward) Kennedy spoke at a breakfast meeting, he remarked on the fact that his sponsorship of the legislation with Sen. (Jesse) Helms was out of the ordinary," White says with a laugh, noting that the uncommon bipartisan support underlines the fact that cancer crosses all political boundaries.

As she has throughout his ordeal, White's wife, Sue, accompanied him on the National Lobby Day trip, lending her support in the meetings with legislators. The pair met with an aide for Sen. Carl Levin, and talked with Sen. Debbie Stabenow's deputy legislative director after she was called to the Senate floor for a vote.

"Debbie has always been real supportive of cancer issues," White says.

Drop-in visits at the offices of Congressman John Dingel and Mike Rogers led to meetings with legislative aides for both U.S. representatives, and an unplanned chat with Rogers who returned from a vote on the House floor.

"He's a cancer survivor, too," White says.

The swing through Capitol Hill concluded with a stop at the office of Congressman Dave Camp before the White's and other delegations from across the country took evening flights out of Reagan International Airport.

"That was an experience in itself," White says, noting his amazement at seeing service personnel armed with M-16s at the terminal.

Upcoming events for White include participation at the local level in National Cancer's Survivor Day, set for June 2 in communities across the United States, and an opportunity to represent Michigan at the ACS Relay for Life Celebration on the Hill, planned for Sept. 19 in Washington D.C.

The event will include survivors from each state who will walk laps around the reflecting pool with legislators to honor cancer victims and survivors and show support of cancer research.

"I'll be applying to serve as a representative from local ACS unit of the Great Lakes Division - I hope to be selected," White says, adding that around 10 to 15 survivors will be selected from the unit for the 250-member state delegation.

In addition to those activities, White was recently selected to serve on the National Cancer Survivor's Day Speakers Bureau. He will join with other cancer survivors from around the nation in making presentations to various groups and organizations about the disease and the importance of check-ups for early detection.

White was asked to help deliver that important message at a national level because of his lengthy experience with the disease - and his speaking abilities.

"I'm not afraid to speak out," he says in his trademark forthright manner that is friendly, sincere and always upbeat.

That positive attitude has been a key factor in the five, separate battles he's fought with cancer in the past 20 years, along with support of family and friends.

"I decided from the start that I was going to fight it as best I could - I didn’t want to become another cancer death statistic," White says, adding that Sue, their daughters, Kileen and Abby, and his parents, Brandon Jr. and Annette White, share a similar viewpoint and have been by his side through the assortment of surgeries, therapy and clinical trials he's endured.

The initial diagnosis of malignant melanoma presented itself as a "textbook case," White recalls of the bleeding mole that was an annoyance for the 23-year-old who had just become a father.

"I really didn’t pay much attention to it - the blood it left on my shirts was the big problem at that time," he says.

The attitude changed quickly after he had the mole removed and a routine check showed the presence of cancerous tissue. Since then White's surgeries have included a radical dissection of lymph nodes under his right arm, removal of a tumor from his throat, and a thoracotomy that included removal of part of a rib from a tumor in his chest.

He's also undergone bouts of chemotherapy, tested uncharted medical waters as a participant in clinical trials - and experienced a "miracle recovery" when an inoperable tumor shrunk and eventually disappeared in what doctors term a "spontaneous reduction."

"My cancer has been anything but an academic case since that first 'textbook' scenario with the melanoma," White says.

"All the prayers and support from my family and fiends have been very important - they are my real strength."