Heroes Among Us

It’s often said that cancer does not discriminate. Victims are colorless, ageless, from every walk of life and every corner of every community.

October is breast cancer awareness month. We wanted to use it as a chance to raise awareness of all cancers. Because each fight is important. Each patient is precious.

We asked Star-Telegram readers to share photos of their “cancer heroes” — loved ones who are battling or have battled the disease — via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and to tag their posts with #STCancerHeroes. The responses were enthusiastic and generous, and they continued to be shared even days past our deadline.

The faces of those heroes create the image on the cover of Sunday’s Life & Arts — a lavender ribbon, the color that signifies awareness of cancer. Below, you can see the individuals who earned the distinction of “hero” by their family and friends.

We encourage readers to log on, to search for these #STCancerHeroes and to continue sharing stories of their own heroes with the social-media community.

Please note: Photos courtesy of readers. Not all of the entries included a last name, age or city of residence.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Heroes Among Us."