Every day that we come to work, we have an awesome opportunity to turn our passions into purpose and action, especially as it relates to disease-specific organizations and causes.
June 7 was National Cancer Survivors Day, and throughout the whole month of June, organizations and people from across the country will be taking time to celebrate cancer survivors and reflect on those who we’ve lost. Many of us at BSD have been personally affected by this disease, and it’s why we’re even more determined to help organizations think strategically about strengthening their digital programs to help connect with wider audiences, bring increased awareness to their cause, and generate funding for their critical programs.
We’ve been working with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) to help support their life-saving research and identify engagement opportunities beyond their celebrity-studded bi-annual telethon. We invite you to visit #ISurvivedCancer, which brings together beautiful portraiture from lifestyle photographer Victoria Will and a custom Hipstamatic filter to tell the real stories of 10 cancer survivors, who powerfully share what survival means to them.
And for all of National Cancer Survivors Month, we’ll be sharing some of #OurHeroes—those affected by cancer who inspire us to keep fighting. Together, we want to weave a larger story about cancer’s impact and the role we can all have in taking down this disease.
Join us in raising awareness by tagging a photo of your hero with #OurHeroes and follow along on our Instagram and Twitter. Here are a few of #OurHeroes:
We found out about Baylor Fredrickson and his fight with leukemia through our partner, Be The Match. He was in need of a life-saving marrow match, but it proved to be a challenge since patients are most likely to match someone of similar race or ethnicity—and that meant he needed a mixed-race donor who was also Asian and Caucasian, making the odds very slim. Inspired by his love of baseball, we powered a campaign with Be The Match to raise awareness called #Rally4Bay. You can read more about it here and follow along on Bay’s Facebook to see his progress.
Here’s why Marketing Director Gillea Allison is inspired by her father:
Last year, my dad found out he had bladder cancer, adopted a dog from the pound, had intense chemo, launched a PAC to tear down highways in Dallas, had an even more intense surgery, took up yoga and meditation, and survived. In short: cancer didn’t stop him and I’m proud to call him my dad.
For Account Director Sarah Lucas, her hero is her mom:
I might be biased, but my mom is the bravest, strongest and most positive person I know. She’s bravely stared cancer in the face twice: once as a caregiver for her husband, my dad, who was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer and survived for 16 months, nearly a year longer than doctors expected. Then, less than three years later, something just wasn’t right, so she called the doctor and got checked out. I’m thankful every single day that she didn’t ignore her body’s warning, because the doctors were able to find three different types of cancer in a tumor that was smaller than a dime. After intense chemo and radiation, she’s stronger than ever, and we’re determined to share her story to encourage others to listen to their bodies, call their doctor—and fight like hell (with a smile on your face) if you have to.
We’ll be posting more stories of #OurHeroes, so please follow along on our social channels!