12 Days of Giving to Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

Here’s to all those who bravely share themselves, who share their stories. It can be hard to be vulnerable, to open up and reveal your authentic self, to share difficult details, engage in courageous conversations. It can be hard to go public with your story. Stories matter. Sharing stories shifts culture, drives change, changes the face of lung cancer. Here’s to all who brave those challenges who share their own stories.

Here’s to all who share lung cancer stories, hospital communications teams, writers, photographers, videographers, sound technicians, cancer centre public relations people, reporters, and all kinds of media and behind the scenes folks. Cheers to all those who are supportive and work hard to tell our stories well. Thank you for helping get our stories out, for they are important and need to be heard. You are changing the face of lung cancer, and we are grateful.

Here’s to Lizzie and Kayla, two brave young women who changed the face of lung cancer through sharing themselves, their stories, and fundraising. They knew the importance of sharing their story and the importance of raising funds for research. They were also both lovely people, kind and encouraging, loving and inspiring, deeply missed. What an honour to have known them.

Cheers to all those who join online lung cancer communities, who authentically contribute and genuinely care. That is another kind of brave and important story sharing! Online communities are powerful for support and information, and also fundraising.

I’m involved in several online groups, including one international ALK+ group. ALK is a rare kind of lung cancer. This group has almost 2000 members, and held its second annual summit this past August in Atlanta. Thanks to a generous family, I was able to go and meet some of my ALK family in person, and what a celebration that was! This group is so supportive and encouraging, and tremendously knowledgable. We heard from world leading oncologists at the summit, because this group highly values research. We know our lives may depend on being informed so we can gain access to clinical trials and latest treatment options. We know very well that research is life, and we fundraise for research into our particular kind of lung cancer (as do people with other kinds of cancers). The ALK+ group raised $500,000 USD last month alone, and this month they have secured matching grants up to $200,000 USD.

Research matters. People matter. More research means more survivors. Money = research = life.

Here’s to all who bravely share lung cancer stories! Here’s to all who tell them so well. Thank you. Stories matter.

Thank you for giving generously, for supporting lung cancer research, for opening pathways for more people to live longer and better!

To celebrate stories and survivorship, please give generously to lung cancer research!

Team Jill:  https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/2020-lung-cancer-survivors-super-bowl-challenge/jillhamer-wilson

OR: Team Jill’s Canadian page (for Canadian Income Tax receipts): http://donate.ottawacancer.ca/goto/jill 

#12Days of giving to #lungcancer #clinicaltrials #Hope #Care #Team #Support #SilverLinings #Stories #ThankYou