Roger Adams lost his mother to cancer when he was in his twenties.
"She died at 41," he says as his eyes recollect the memories. "You remember all this stuff you know."
So when doctors diagnosedhim with lymphatic cancer in 1974, he thought he would suffer the same fate.
Adams tried a new treatment for cancer in the 1970's and was one of the first cancer patients to receive chemotherapy to fight back the deadly illness.
"They stuck me with so many needles and pumped me with a lot of chemo."
He survived his bout with cancer only to be forced to fight another round. Twice, he's come out on top.
Sunday, Rogers and 12 million other Americans celebrated National Cancer Survivors Day. Each sharing their stories about how they fought for their lives battling the illness that takes so many.
"You can't give into it," he says. "If you do you're lost you're finished that's the way I see it, and I would never give up."
While he wasn't giving up, Adams continued to inspire others. Otherslike North Myrtle Beach High teacher Julie Helgerson who says when she found she had breast cancer in 2009, it was a fight she couldn't lose.
"I knew in my heart of hearts that this wasn't really my time," Helgerson says. "This was something I could do, and my life would go on."
Though the journey took it's toll on Helgerson and her body ached constantly, she says she never felt sorry for herself no matter how dark it seemed.
"There were times when it just hurt to move, but you get up. You can't ask why, because then you're going to be mad and angry. I don't want those feelings. I had to have faith that something good would come of this."
She came out of it and now shares her story with the hope of giving people inspiration...just as Adams has for nearly 40 years.
"There's really really great things out there. Really really great people and it's my turn to pay it forward now," says Helgerson.
"You being positive, that means everything," says Adams. "I think that's ninety percent of why I am where I am."
