Marlee Matlin And Dana Delany Stand Up For Their Fathers

Marlee Matlin and Dana Delany have both paid tribute to their fathers to help raise awareness of Stand Up To Cancer.

“For people who are afraid to TALK about cancer, for people who are afraid to communicate with their loved ones about it, and for the people who want to pretend cancer doesn’t exist, either delaying diagnosis or not getting regular checkups, the consequences can be fatal,” said Marlee, whose father was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, in a post in the Huffington Post. "Doing nothing about cancer will kill you. That’s why in honor of my Dad this Father’s Day, I’m STANDING UP, encouraging men like my Dad to talk openly and freely when it comes to matters of health. It’s up to us to remind our Dads to get regular checkups, and if something just doesn’t feel right, to get to the doctor. Tell your Dad to make sure to deal with your family honestly about your fears. No one should ever be ashamed to cry. This Father’s Day, let’s remind our Dads that family and friends are probably the best weapons one could have against cancer. They can share the burden, potentially provide information and resources or just be there to hold your hand.

“I love you Dad. I want us to spend many, many more Father’s Days together. It may be true that silence is easy, but believe me when I say that when it comes to cancer, silence is the last thing the world will hear from me. You can bet on it.”

Dana Delany’s father died of cancer, and the actress wrote this tribute in the Huffington Post:

“For a man who had lived with a lot of inward rage, my father died with grace and tenderness. And he did see my Broadway debut. I was 24 and he was 56. After he died, I thought “OK. That’s what happens when you grow up. Your parents divorce, you graduate from college and your father dies. Shit happens. Life goes on.” But in 2008, when I was standing proudly onstage for the groundbreaking Stand Up 2 Cancer special and I saw Patrick Swayze come out and speak with such beauty and strength about his battle with pancreatic cancer, I thought, “He’s the same age as my father was. How is it possible that 28 years later, this is still going on? How is it possible that 75% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are still dead within a year?”

“And a year later, Patrick was gone.

“And now, this week, Laura Ziskin, one of the founders of Stand Up 2 Cancer and my friend, is gone. When she called me up three years ago and asked me to participate in the program by having a mammogram on live TV, I did not hesitate. Because she told me she was going to cure cancer, and I still believe she will. Thanks to her and SU2C, 18 million dollars has gone to pancreatic cancer research. Launch a star in memory of someone you love at www.su2c.org. I love you Daddy, but this one’s for Laura.”