Three sisters who lost their mother to cancer at the age of 51 were ejected from the King Of Prussia Mall in Pa for wearing hats that said F cancer with the U in the word replaced by the cancer ribbon.

Courtesy of ABC TV
Courtesy of ABC TV
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Zakia and Tasha Clark who wore the hats were at the mall to buy a dress for Zakia’s 9 year old daughter to wear to her grandmothers funeral. Jackie Underwood succumbed to cancer on May 14 at the age of 51.

The group shopped for 2 1/2 hours, then split up, and Zakia and Tasha, Zakia's daughter, an adult female friend and two girls younger than 5 grabbed something to eat from Master Wok at the mall's upper-level food court.

The ladies had just sat down when a security guard approached them and, without a greeting, ordered: " 'Take your hats off,' " Zakia said.

Zakia took hers off, but Tasha, who once worked at the mall, told the guard she wanted to see something in writing.

It was almost as if Tasha were channeling their mother's strong spirit, Zakia said, and it inspired her to put her own hat back on.

"He said, 'Since you don't want to take your hat off, you can leave my mall,' " Zakia recalled. "He stood there while we ate and threatened to call the cops."

Out of nowhere, Zakia said, seven more guards surrounded them.

"I was very embarrassed," she said. "My daughter was so scared she was crying."

As the group was escorted to the mall office, Makia called and met up with them.

"I couldn't believe they were acting like they were going to arrest my sisters," she said.

Once they got to the office, the women were met by an Upper Merion Township police officer, who had been called to the mall by security guards.

"The officer said, 'I find it offensive that you even have that hat that says 'F--- CANCER,' " Zakia said. "He said, 'It's their mall, they want you out, you have to get out.' "

The women were escorted out, and two security cars were waiting for them at their car just to make sure they left, Zakia said.

"I just wanted to tell them the whole story," Makia said of the guards. "I wanted to tell them a monster came into our house, got into my mother and we had to watch that until the day it took her, so don't tell me it's offensive to say, 'F--- CANCER.' "

My wife Deneen is a breast cancer survivor so I have no problem wit the hats. As for the word, I think we get too wrapped up in words. I also think that word is so commonly used today that it really doesn’t matter. Besides like they say “Sticks and Stones will break my bones but WORDS will never hurt me. Cancer hurts everyone and if ever there were a word for it, I think this is it. What do you think?

 

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