Hitting the Cancer

Man, there are some truly exceptional fighters - true warriors out there!

Story:
It's 8 p.m. on a Wednesday at a mini-mall in Foxboro. Helen Taylor, 49, of Mansfield and 14-year-old Nisha Shah of Foxboro are warily circling one another. They wear helmets, gloves, body pads, mouth guards and no-nonsense expressions. "Hiii-yeh!" shouts Taylor, landing a punch on Shah, who deftly lifts her leg and kicks Taylor's helmet.

Taylor has one particular adversary in mind.

"I'm hitting the cancer - that's what I'm thinking about when I'm punching," she says during a break, sweat running down her face.

When her colon cancer was first diagnosed in January 2004, Taylor had surgery and was declared cancer-free. She fought to stay healthy through her diet, lifestyle, kick-boxing and karate, but in October 2005, the cancer returned in her liver. It was inoperable.

"It's treatable, but in the end, the cancer usually wins," a surgeon told her. "Win? I'll decide who will win - and it won't be the cancer," she thought.

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