If you could complete one simple task that could save your life, would you? Would you do the same for your children? As a father of four young adults and grandfather of ten active children, I know my answer is a resounding "yes!"

As a longtime friend of someone who lost his teenage son to cancer and then lost his own life to cancer, I am driven to do all I can to transfer the empowerment that comes with being aware of your own health to other parents and young adults. Few parents would ever ignore a child's health complaint or skip kids' "well visits" to the pediatrician. And most people won't ignore mechanical issues with their cars; that would be dangerous! But young adults-including adolescents and parents-tend to ignore nagging health symptoms or do not have annual check-ups. And the result of not picking up the phone to schedule a doctor's appointment can be beyond dangerous. Dire Statistics Demand a Change
What's the urgency? In reality, when people ignore subtle changes in their normal health-those nagging things that "just don't feel right," or ongoing fatigue that people blame on just being too busy-they may be giving an undiagnosed cancer time to grow unchecked. There are 70,000 new cases of cancer among young adults aged 15 - 40 annually. Without early detection-because people ignore symptoms or claim they're too busy to get to the doctor--more cancers among this age group are diagnosed at late stages. That's when cancers are most difficult to treat-and halt.

Shockingly, there has been zero improvement in cancer survival rates for 15 to 40-year-olds in the past 35 years, while pediatric and adult cancer survival rates have leapt upward. In fact, cancer is the number-one illness-related killer among 15 to 40 year-olds. This is an age group that makes up about 30 percent of the American population! It includes parents of young families and older children still in high school. It includes young adults charging through those years of early independence, feelings of invincibility and determination to stake their place in this world. So much is happening to people in these amazing years, but being mindful of health problems and making time to see your doctor is not the norm.

Ironically, Mark Ungerer and I were young adults when we met through business. A deep friendship among our young families grew quickly. After his son David died at age 16, Mark became a founder of the Worcester Area Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament (now the Mark R. Ungerer Golf Tournament); it has raised $6 million in 24 years. When Mark was battling cancer himself, he turned to me and asked if one day I would run the event for him. Of course I agreed to do this favor. Mark's death in 1995 was a profound loss in my life, but one that ultimately led me to establishing permanent, life-affirming tributes to him that have the potential to help millions of individuals. Through the golf tournament and the relationship with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, I learned about the shocking gap in cancer survival rate improvements among adolescents and young adults. It was difficult to believe.

Could it be that nobody's looking out for this "young adult" age group-102 million Americans? Or that nobody seems to know about this crucial problem?

Mark loved to get behind things that nobody seemed to know about. So as I learned more about this adolescent and young adult gap in cancer -and why it existed-I told my own family that if no one else were going to raise awareness and move people to action, it must be us. I knew this was the best action we as a family could take to extend Mark's passionate work to help other families avoid a tortuous loss of a young life to cancer. We put our family's energy into establishing the 15-40 Connection (15-40.org), which works to reach adolescents, young adults and their parents with potentially life-saving yet simple "take charge of your health" messages. Even my young grandchildren are helping us spread our messages and learning those health lessons.

Mark believed there were three things over which we all have personal control: time, effort and attitude. The 15-40 Connection exists to help adolescents and young adults take that same personal control over their health.

It is simple but not simplistic to realize that without your health, everything else is much more challenging. It is more difficult to be an effective parent, have a vibrant career, provide well for your family or share your talents with others. Health really is your ultimately intangible wealth, the foundation on which your life rests.

As a parent, instill in your children the self-confidence to take action throughout their lives when they know they just don't feel right. And make time to have an annual check-up and get to the doctor's office if you have symptoms that don't go away within two weeks. Your lives may depend on it.

Jim Coghlin, Sr. is Chairman and Coach of Worcester-based Coghlin Companies, Inc. and a leading philanthropist and community leader. Jim founded the 15-40 Connection in 2008. He has received numerous awards for his humanitarian and business leadership and involves family in his community activities. He and his wife Nancy reside in Shrewsbury.

[sidebar] C.A.U.T.I.O.N.: The 15-40 Connection wants adolescents and young adults to pay attention to changes in their health and make the confident decision not to ignore them! Common signs and symptoms of cancer might be:

• Change in mole or new skin lesions
• Abnormal discharge from your nose, eyes, ears, mouth, vagina, anus, sweat glands and nipples
• nilateral pain and swelling in one knee or shoulder but not the other
• Tumor / bulge / bump / lump anywhere
• Increased or swollen lymph nodes anywhere
• Obstinate fatigue or lethargy;
• Neurologic changes like numbness or tingling, loss of balance, incessant headache, inability to speak

For more tips and resources, visit 15-40.org.