Cancer survivors offer hope to others affected

AUSTINTOWN — With a purple suit jacket and fedora, the SirViBear and his pin represent hope and companionship for those struggling with cancer, as well as for survivors, friends and family.

Bill English, 68, of Austintown said he and his wife, Linda, 57, know all too well the hardships that follow cancer. They designed the SirViBear.

Over the past 42 years, English has gone five rounds with cancer; the latest, he said, was prostate cancer. His wife is a lymphoma survivor.

“Being a survivor, you’re a survivor from the first day that you have cancer,” said Bill English, who has been cancer-free for nearly three years. “People with cancer, they don’t talk to each other, but if they wear the pin, they’ll see other survivors out there ... they can form a camaraderie.”

He said it’s important for people with cancer, as well as survivors, to stay positive.

“It’s like trying to form a support group for survivors and those who are just getting cancer, to show them there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” English said. “You have to look at it as you’re moving on, moving forward.”

He said the inspiration to design the cancer survivor pin stemmed from his own family struggles.

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