Cancer can make you physically weak but
cannot touch your mind or your heart or your soul. This year the 32
June, 2019 to
celebrate and share the unique stories of courage, perseverance, and
inspiration of the cancer survivors. The
. It aims to celebrate life and provide hope for
cancer survivors who have overcome and conquered the disease. The day also
demonstrates that life after a cancer diagnosis can be rewarding, inspiring,
and fruitful.
As per the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation,
"a cancer survivor is anyone living with a history of cancer - from the moment of
diagnosis through the remainder of life." How is International Cancer Survivors Day Celebrated?
- Survivors Tribute: Giving tributes
to cancer survivors is one of the best ways to salute their courage in
fighting the disease - and winning!
- Popular Lectures: Guest speakers
may be invited to talk on the topic of cancer to generate more awareness,
understanding and empathy for cancer survivors
- Workshops: Hands-on training may
be organized for caregivers and family members on how to handle a cancer patient and help them cope with the disease
- Health Fairs: These can be
organized with a focus on cancer prevention, with an element of fun and
entertainment to entice people to participate in the festivities
- 'Walk/Run for Cancer': Walks and
marathons are organized by various organizations across the globe to
commemorate the day. For example, the Prevent Cancer Foundation in
Virginia, USA is organizing a 5-kilometer walk/run event as a tribute to
all cancer survivors
- Art Activities: These activities
may include 'sit-and-draw' competitions, which are ideal for engaging
children and also giving them some fun at the same time
- Social Media Campaigns: This is
one of the easiest and most effective ways of spreading the message. For
example, the organizers of the National Cancer Survivors Day 2019 are regularly posting on Facebook
(Link: https://www.facebook.com/CancerSurvivorsDay/) and
Twitter (Link: https://twitter.com/survivorsday?lang=en)
to publicize the event
- Real Life Stories: Each and every
person living with cancer has a story to tell. Therefore, these cancer
survivors should be encouraged to share their story so that others come to
know that having cancer is not just all about despair, but there are ways
to conquer it too!
- Cancer Screening Camps: Free
screening camps for early detection of cancer are ideal for interactions
between doctors and the people in the community. These camps especially
benefit underprivileged people who seldom come in contact with the health
system
- Media Events: Involving the media,
both print and electronic, could help to increase awareness and influence
public interest in prevention and early detection of cancer. In this
regard, popular articles on cancer in newspapers, and chat shows and
interviews on TV and radio are particularly useful means of communicating
with the masses
- Volunteering: Being a volunteer by
engaging one-on-one with a cancer survivor to provide physical, mental and
emotional support can be a unique, enriching, and rewarding experience.
This will help the cancer survivor to open-up and share personal feelings
and cancer experiences, which he/she would otherwise find it hard to
express
- Wearing 'Red', 'Blue' and 'White': The
official colors for International Cancer Survivors Day are 'Red', 'Blue'
and 'White'. So, wearing something with these colors, such as a T-shirt,
cap, buttons, badges, or lapel pins will generate awareness and show
support for cancer survivors
International Cancer Survivors Day Celebrations in Leading Cancer
Institutes
This day is being celebrated with great
enthusiasm and fervour in many world-renowned cancer institutes, a few of which
are highlighted below:
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center: This renowned cancer center is organizing an event at the
Zukerman Research Center, New York, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center: This
leading cancer center is holding celebrations at the Texas Medical Center,
Houston, Texas, USA
- Guy's Hospital and St. Thomas'
Hospital Cancer Centers: These two famous London hospitals are holding
a 'Celebration Walk'. This event aims to celebrate cancer survivorship, as
well as raise vital funds for cancer patients at Guy's Cancer Center,
London, UK
- Johns Hopkins University: The
Johns Hopkins All Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute is
organizing an event at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
The key for cancer survivors is not to give up. Medical science is
investing huge amount of resources to overcome the challenges and find a
permanent cure for the disease. Don't think of cancer diagnosis as a slow death
sentence - this was in the past, but today most cancers have cures and there are
many long-term survivors who have beaten the dreaded disease. Be encouraged and
speak to a survivor if you suffer from cancer. It will give you hope and
strength to fight the cancer and celebrate life. Stuart Scott who was an American sportscaster and ESPN anchor, bravely fought cancer and survived many years, till his death in 2015, said -
"You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live". References :- National Cancer Survivors Day® - (https://www.ncsd.org/)
- National Cancer Survivors Day - Prevent Cancer Foundation, USA - (https://preventcancer.org/event/national-cancer-survivors-day/)
- What is Survivorship? - Cancer.Net - (https://www.cancer.net/survivorship/what-survivorship)
- Clinical Programs of the Center for Cancer Survivorship - Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, USA - (https://www.cinj.org/survivorship)
Source: Medindia
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