Cancer is no joke, it affects us all directly or indirectly. Many of us lose loved ones to this terrible illness. However technology and medicine is getting better, early detection can lead to complete destruction of cancer and with common cancers regular screening is absolutely essential.

The Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams knows about the pain of loss due to cancer all too well. He lost his mother to breast cancer. Something that if caught in time can usually be taken out or cured. His mother was only 53 years old when she died in 2014, a young woman. He also lost four aunts to the same cancer.

DeAngelo runs a non-profit, The DeAngelo Williams Foundation. Earlier in the month they announced a great initiative. They said that they will be covering the cost of 53 mammograms at hospitals located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh.

Now, this is more important that the 53 mammograms that women will get, for free. This is making a wave and raising awareness, we ALL have to be screened. Screened for breast, prostate, checking our skin, being sensible and careful.

It could save our or a loved one’s life.

Williams previously pushed and allowed October Cancer Awareness Month to be a month in the NFL where players could wear pink cleats and accessories to raise awareness. He wanted to extend this to 12 months of the year but the NFL would not allow this.

The man is trying his hardest, we have to respect that.

Read more here: http://www.today.com/health/deangelo-williams-pays-53-mammograms-honor-mom-who-died-breast-t50306