American Cancer Society More Birthdays Blog, The Official Sponsor of Birthdays

We often hear from our community that birthdays – whether they’re the date marking an actual birth or a celebration of cancer survivorship – conjure up many emotions. Some feel joy, some somber reflection. Others remark on feeling thankful for another year. At the American Cancer Society, birthdays mean everything to us. We fight for more birthdays – more days to celebrate, more days with family and friends, more days to love and live life. To us, a world with less cancer is a blissful world with more birthdays.

Bloggers who have joined in the fight for More Birthdays have even shared their sentiments on their own birthdays:

From Julie Pippert at Using My Words, on her birthday in November:

“I am truly grateful to get to celebrate another birthday … Grateful this birthday is one more for me, one more for my family. A day to celebrate, instead of miss. Lucky. So, so lucky.”

From Darryl Polluck at I Never Signed Up for This on her favorite way to celebrate her birthday:

As a cancer survivor, the key to every birthday and my favorite way to celebrate– this year and every year—is to think about how lucky I am to be here.

From Liz and Kristen at Cool Mom Picks:

“For so many people, the birthday itself is the gift.”

From February 23-25, the American Cancer Society will be attending BlissDom 2012, a conference for women who find and express their bliss by sharing their stories online. Our team (including members of our Blogger Advisory Council that help us fight for more birthdays) will be attending to spread the word to this community of influential women about what we do to save lives. While there, we’ll be asking women attending the conference to give us their interpretation of, “More birthdays are blissful because ________.”

Do you have a blissful birthday story to share? Help us fill in the blank here: More Birthdays are blissful because ________.  We look forward to continuing our work together to help save lives and create more days of bliss for all.

Once again, we are amazed by how strong and supportive our American Cancer Society More Birthdays Facebook community is. Last week, we asked everyone to light their profile pictures blue and orange for World Cancer Day – more than 5,400 people joined together and lit their profiles in support of creating a WORLD with less cancer and More Birthdays. This is the kind of momentum we need to help get cancer on the global health agenda as a worldwide priority!

Along with the outpouring support we also received tons of inspirational stories that help remind us why we are fighting every day for less cancer and more birthdays. Here are just a few of those stories:

Gail Buckle

On February 4th I will not only be celebrating my birthday, but also the fact that I am a 24 year breast cancer survivor. I’ve spent the past 20 years happily volunteering with ACS and Relay For Life. My goal is to help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Together we can make it happen!

Louise R Hadden

I am a one year cancer survivor, but a volunteer for American Cancer Society since 1995, so I have seen a LOT of cancer patients! I support a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Even during my cancer treatments I still was involved with our local Relay For Life and pledge to continue to do what I can! Together, we will end the disease.

Susie Melmon Mnookin ‎

20 yr survivor of ovarian cancer and 19 yr survivor of breast cancer … thanks to good docs and medicine!! Here’s to more and more for everyone out there. Stay well everybody and keep those birthdays coming!!

Margaret Brouqua

I added your light to my profile page … as a cancer survivor myself and in honor of my best friend Christine who passed away last August and everyone else who has been touched by this awful disease. In hopes we may find a cure ♥

Karen Monico Vidal

I am a Registered Nurse and several days a month I work with cancer patients, and although emotionally hard I love it, I always go home after my long 12 hour shift at peace knowing that I made someone in need feel better, that maybe with just a single word or sentence I helped someone have hope and encouraged them to not give up and continue to fight. So on February 4th I’m not only celebrating my own birthday but I’m also supporting World Cancer Day! Let’s all have more birthdays! ♥

Allan Strawhacker

This month I am beginning year 3 of chemo every 8 weeks. So far so good! If I can do this, anyone can. Just take it one day at a time and hope for a cure!!! I do have to admit that the ”Roller Coaster Ride” at my age gets pretty old. Just have to lean on loved ones and friends and hang in there.

Did you light up your profile? Inspired by the stories above? Leave a comment and tell us why you are fighting for a WORLD with less cancer and more birthdays.

7.6 million: That’s the number of lives we lose to cancer worldwide every year – more than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Here at the American Cancer Society, we’re committed to changing this staggering statistic to zero so we can achieve a WORLD with less cancer and more birthdays.

But we’ll need your help to make this world a reality.

On the eve of February 4, the American Cancer Society is lighting the Empire State Building blue and orange to support World Cancer Day. Please join us in showing your support for a WORLD with less cancer and more birthdays this week by “lighting” your Facebook and/or Twitter profile photo blue and orange. Together we have the power to raise our voices and make a statement: ending cancer should be a global health priority.

Click here to “light” your Facebook and/or Twitter profile now.

Cancer is a global disease that has no borders. A cancer survivor from India shares her story with us to highlight why raising awareness about the global cancer fight is so important to her.

In November 2000, I blacked out while volunteering in my son’s classroom. I spent the night in a military hospital where a tumor the size of a ping pong ball was removed from my colon. I had cancer. One year and 3 surgeries, 9 chemotherapies, lost hair, edema, a colostomy, reversal of the colostomy, a deep dark depression, and a month of anti-depressants later, I was well again.

By June 2002, I found my destiny in the form of educating women on early detection, advocating for palliative care across India, and setting up a support group for children with cancer and their families. But this story is not just about me. Although my cancer journey was a blessing that led to better things, this is not the case for the vast majority of people with cancer in my country of India. Our doctors, our scientists, our governments, our organizations, and our media must find ways to work together to fight and defeat cancer worldwide, while caring for the people affected by it.

~Poonam Bagai, India

Visit global.cancer.org to learn more about the fight to end cancer globally, and to get involved. You can also see what communities around the world are doing to mark World Cancer Day at uicc.org/worldcancerday.

How will you mark World Cancer Day? Tell us in the comments section below, and make sure to click here to turn your Facebook or Twitter profile blue and orange to show your support for a WORLD with less cancer and more birthdays.

Cancer.  We may hear the word used daily in the world around us, but that doesn’t mean it can be simply defined.  For those on the cancer journey – patients, caregivers, loved ones – the questions that surround cancer can be plentiful and overwhelming.  Especially at 2 a.m.

That’s why at the American Cancer Society, we are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with free information, support, and answers via phone, email, and chat for anyone who needs help. How do we do that? We have a dedicated team at our National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) that’s celebrating its 15^th birthday this month – that are on-call just for you.

In January 1997, we had just 9 Cancer Information Specialists (CIS) and 1 Oncology Nurse Specialist taking calls from people needing support and answers about cancer. Today, our team of CIS, Oncology Nurse Specialists, health insurance specialists, patient services specialists, and peer coaches answer more than 14.6 million calls to make sure anyone facing cancer has the information, support, and resources they need to help them stay well and get well … and to celebrate more birthdays.

We recently chatted with Cancer Information Specialist, Marelynn Ayala, about her work. This is what she had to say:

ACS: Marelynn, what is a Cancer Information Specialist?

Marelynn: A Cancer Information Specialist is a specially-trained American Cancer Society staff person who provides cancer patients, their families, and the community at large a vast array of cancer information, treatment information, early detection and prevention guidelines, and resources that are available throughout every step of the cancer experience and beyond.

ACS: How do you help people fight for a world with less cancer and more birthdays?

Marelynn: I help people fight for more birthdays every day by arming them with lifesaving information that can change their lives and the lives of those around them. For instance, I help provide accurate information about ways to prevent cancer or find it early to people who want to take steps to stay well. I help those facing a cancer diagnosis by arming them with much-needed facts and information to help them make informed treatment decisions. For people interested in fighting back against cancer by being active in their communities, I assist them with getting involved in our events and volunteer opportunities. Information is such a vital tool in the fight against cancer.

ACS: What inspired/motivated you to start working at the American Cancer Society?

Marelynn: I have always been passionate about health care and women’s health issues. Seeing first-hand where I grew up how poverty directly impacts an individual’s access to health care greatly influenced me to pursue a career where I would positively impact the community around me. The day I started in nonprofit cancer work was a day where I not only changed career paths, but also embarked on a much more fulfilling life.

ACS: What kind of feedback do you hear from cancer survivors about the programs and services the American Cancer Society provides?

Marelynn: I hear from people who say our programs and support have saved and changed lives, and our constituents are forever grateful. But we aren’t finished, and we need to continue to do more because disparities still exist and the needs continue to grow.

ACS: Can you recall a moment in time as a CIS that really made an impact on you?

Marelynn: A few months after I first started working at ACS, I found myself speaking with a gentleman who needed a ride for an upcoming treatment appointment. He explained that for 5 years, he has been receiving rides to his doctor from American Cancer Society volunteers and without this service; he would never have been able to receive his cancer treatment or go to his many follow-up appointments. This story impacted me because it was a first-hand account of how important our work is and the great work being done in communities across the country to help create more birthdays.

ACS: What makes you continue supporting the fight for less cancer and more birthdays?

Marelynn: My motivation stems from the simple fact that more work needs to be done. As long as disparities exist, I will always remain passionate and want to find a way to do my part in the fight against cancer.

Have you or a loved one ever benefited from programs or services offered by the American Cancer Society?  Tell us your story in the comments section below.

January is in full swing and many of you have vowed to take on 2012 with gusto!  When we asked you at the start of the New Year – “How will YOU fight for More Birthdays in 2012?” – this is what you had to say. We always knew we had a strong, determined community of supporters and survivors, but your words illustrated just how much fight you have in you.  As we kick off 2012, never forget that we are fighting for you every day and in every way we can to help create a world with less cancer and More Birthdays.

Inspired by the words below?  Tell us how you kicked off 2012 in the comments section.

Kimberly Smith

Live healthier, work hard on my college’s RFL committee to help raise awareness, and to continue raising awareness in any way I can! 2012 will be a year with more birthdays

Brenda White-Varley

Fight for everyday so I have more birthdays!

Shannon Coffey Ortiz

I will always fight!!! I will slow down my life to allow my soul to catch up. It’s going to be a GREAT 2012.

Jo Thornton

By keeping all of my doctor visits and doing what I can myself be eating healthier and exercising.

Suzanne Delman

You must always support cancer charities to fund research for better medications and treatment. I thank God everyday that I am healthy after breast cancer.

Deirdre Berry

I will continue to teach others the warning signs of ovarian cancer and live each day to its fullest while continuing treatment! Four years, 5 months and counting!

Kathleen Kilcrease Smith

I will be a team captain (again!) for Relay for Life, and help to raise money to fight cancer – and continue my own personal fight to survive and THRIVE!

Susan Rumer Peifer

Got Breasts? CHECK ‘UM!

Mary Boecher ‎

2011 I was diagnosed and treated for Breast cancer and renal cancer. I thank God, my providers, and treatment that was available for me. I have participated and raised money yearly for the Relay for Life local chapter prior to my diagnosis. I am twice a “Survivor”!! I will continue to fight for the cause! Here’s to more birthdays !

As a follower of this blog and a member of this movement, you already do a lot to fight for More Birthdays – we hear your stories every day and your enthusiasm inspires us. So when we partnered with The Motherhood to host a discussion with leading bloggers about women who use social media to inspire change in their communities, we wanted to pass along their words of advice.

We chatted with Karyn Watkins, Gina Carroll, Renee Ross, Helen Jonsen, Emily McKhann, Tonya Lewis Lee, and Simone I. Smith, as well as dozens of women who wanted to make a positive impact on public health in their community. The discussion was fantastic (read the full transcript if you have a minute – you won’t regret it!), but out of the dozens of topics we covered, five action steps for using social media to impact public health issues were clear.

1. Choose a focus: You don’t have to do everything to make an impact. For starters, choose an organization or cause you feel passionate about and dedicate yourself to that one thing.

2. Share your story: There are thousands of causes out there and the best way to inspire others to take action is by making your appeal personal. Your stories certainly inspire our efforts at the American Cancer Society!

3. Use social media tools wisely: Using social media, you can get your message out in a variety of ways (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and to different networks of users. But no matter the vehicle, always make sure your message is consistent to make an impact.

4. Build a coalition: Don’t try to go it alone to reach a larger audience. At the American Cancer Society we work regularly with bloggers through our Blogger Advisory Council (BAC) — bloggers who share their advice and guidance with us, while also being advocates by spreading important messages about cancer to a larger network for us.

5. Inspire action: It can be difficult to move from talking and educating online to affecting “real life” action. It can take time to build your influence and motivate people to do something, but be patient and see the return on your investment!

Are you motivated to make a difference in your community? Read more of The Motherhood talk here and comment below on how you want to make a positive impact.

The holiday season is a reflective time for many of us, a time for giving thanks and a time for peace.  We recently received a wonderful thank-you from Mamie, a cancer survivor in Georgia who stayed at our Hope Lodge in New York City while undergoing cancer treatments. Mamie, now cancer free, had this to share about her fight for More Birthdays.

“Arriving here at Hope Lodge was truly an incredible experience, beyond anything I could have imagined.  I had a long, hard journey … cancer treatments, congestive heart failure and other complications. I am so happy to say that I have completed my treatments and I am cancer free! Hope Lodge helped me to be optimistic and to realize that cancer does not mean you have to be alone. There are so many people willing to lend a helping hand. Hope Lodge brought me peace during a very difficult time in my life. I thank the American Cancer Society, the staff, volunteers and donors who make it possible. You helped me more than words can express.”

Through our 31 Hope Lodge facilities across the US, we give free lodging to cancer patients in treatment, providing a home-away-from home for both patients and their caregivers. As Mamie noted, this brings peace to many during a difficult time, as the American Cancer Society helpssave cancer patients and their caregivers tens of millions of dollars in lodging costs each year through Hope Lodge.

Thank you, Mamie, for fighting for More Birthdays and for sharing your kind words. And thank you, Hope Lodge New York City, for creating a place of comfort in the middle of bustling Manhattan! To take a peek inside Hope Lodge NYC, check out the Nate Berkus page on MoreBirthdays.com. Earlier this year, Nate featured Hope Lodge on his show and made over the New York City location.

For many, the holidays are a time to reflect on the past year and be grateful.  For us at the American Cancer Society, we couldn’t let the holidays pass without letting you know how grateful we are for you – our supporters, volunteers and members of our wonderful more birthdays community. It is your enduring support that helps us continue to fight for a world with less cancer and More Birthdays.

When we asked you, our More Birthdays Facebook Faithful — “What are you thankful for this holiday season?” and “What do the holidays mean to you?” — we were moved by your personal stories of triumph and hope.  See a sampling below of your Facebook posts and please share more by commenting at the bottom of this post on what the holidays mean to you.

Debbie Ellison Stephens

We all are very blessed. I have A LOT to be thankful for. I am thankful for each and every birthday – especially since I have been a cancer survivor. I am thankful for the American Cancer Society and all that it does to raise money for research for a cure…. Maybe we will have a cure for most cancers in our lifetime. Wouldn’t that be awesome! :0)

Karen Malcolm

I am so thankful that the world can unite in the cancer fight. It’s time to kick cancer off our planet

Retha Pappas

I am thankful that more people are surviving cancer today than every before. I’m thankful that my husband and his twin brother are 1 year cancer survivors and are here to celebrate more birthdays!!

Chris Doud

I am so thankful that they diagnosed my breast cancer in the early stages. Now, 4 years later ,I am able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my beautiful family.

Aunt Linda

I am thankful for all the people who worked so hard so that I could have more birthdays; I am also thankful I can work now to help others have more birthdays.

Charlotte Havens-Hatfield

I am a ten-year breast cancer survivor, and the holidays mean so much to me. I am so grateful to be able to share them with my family and friends. I am so blessed to have been given a second chance at life.

Jo-Ann Minvielle

I am a new breast cancer survivor.  Holidays always meant a lot to me, but this year they are particularly special because I am able to share them with my precious hubby and children and also because I can make other people aware of how important it is to have those mammograms! Life is precious, be an advocate for others, so that they too may experience birthdays and holidays!

Betty Endrina Cole

Christmas reminds me to be super thankful we are not spending another year in the hospital. We still have our son after fighting for “more birthdays” for the last 10 years!