I am excited about broadening my young adult cancer awareness campaign in the months to come.   With the help of www.owlydesign watch for my new branding campaign:  Chasing Rainbows Young Adult Cancer Advocacy.

I  have developed a “One Stop Shop: Mulitmedia Support Resources for Young Adults Living With Cancer” presentation which I presented at APOS (American Psychosocial  Oncology Society) Conference in Anaheim, California in Feb 2011.  It has been accepted by CAPO, Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncologists,  for their Conference in May 2010.  Plus, Mike Lang and I will be presenting a screening of “Wrong Way To Hope” at CAPO as well.   Yahoooo!

 Since my last  summer blog post:   I traveled down to Austin Texas in November 2010 for the Livestrong Young Adult Alliance Conference to present “Chasing Rainbows-Young Adults Living With Cancer” in Spanish subtitles!  Great response from the Latino community!  Well worth the effort and expense.   I also took one of  www.jimmyteens.tv Flip cams to interview some of the young adult cancer survivors attending the conference.  I met lots of new folks:  Jeanette Ferguson from Joan’s Fund, (Head and Neck Oncology Research), Peter Laneas, spokesperson for The Canadian Testicular Cancer Association, Jeni Garner from www.Lovehopestrength.com and Debra Macki from www.YellowUmbrella.org .  Ethon Zohn was a keynote speaker…got a pic with him!  He is a terrific speaker with a big heart!

Of course I hooked up and partied with old pals like Jonny Imerman from Imerman’s angels, Lorna Larsen from Team Shan, Matthew Zachary from I[2]y and Eric Galvez from MASS Kickers…plus many more familiar faces, far too many to mention.  Livestrong YAA is such a great way to meet all the young adults working together to strengthen the voice for the young adult survivor.  I feel honoured to be part of this circle of energy!

Sara..you continue to be my inspiration.  You, like Geoff Eaton at YACC and Matthew Zachary at i[2]y, are one of the pioneers for the young adult cancer awareness voice that has definitely grown in size and magnitude since you were first diagnosed with cancer in Oct 1997.  All three of you should be so proud!  You wanted to make a difference and you have!  Love you…miss you!  Mom.

To be continued….

Love, Pat, the Mom.

Before my daughter, Sara, died from cancer at age 26 she asked me to distribute our documentary, Chasing Rainbows-Young Adults Living With Cancer, throughout British Columbia, across Canada, the USA and, Mom, if you have time, Europe.  That was in the Spring of 2000.  Here it is 2010 and I am so pleased to announce that I am getting to the place where I can say…”Sara, I have met those goals.”    By attending the IPOS/CAPO Conference in Quebec City, Canada and the Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Adult Conference in London, England in June of this year, I have now not only provided this valuable resource in English, but also in French, to willing psychosocial oncologists from Canada, Australia, France, England, Scotland, Romania, Italy and Sweden.

At IPOS/CAPO in Quebec City, a wonderful young adult cancer survivor, Karin DuBois, spoke in french at the Premier French Screening for Chasing Rainbows.  Also, Dr. Martine Hoffman, from Luxemburg  joined us.  They both speak french fluently.  I proudly introduced the film in my limited french.  I was glad for their fluency during the Q and A part of the presentation.

In Quebec I met Katie Rzvi who runs www.thelittlepeople.ro in Romania.  Check it out!  Also, at the TCT Conference, I met Natalya Jagger, who runs www.btbuddies.org.uk for brain tumour survivors.

At the TCT Conference, I also met with Mark Wilkinson from www.jimmyteenstv.com who has created an amazing website for teens and young adults touched by cancer.  He has agreed to upload the “Chasing Rainbows” DVD in its 43 minute format as well Chapter increments onto the site.  We hope to have the upload completed by September 2010.  It will mean young adults, their families, friends and the medical professionals who care for them can access the whole film on the internet.  Wow!  That will definitely fullfill Sara’s distribution dream for the film for Europe…and around the world.  I will keep you posted.

I met, Myrna Whiteson, the founder of the TCT at the Conference. www.teenagecancertrust.org TCT is putting teenage/young adult Units into hospitals throughout the UK.   These Units are amazing!  A floor or ward dedicated to teens and young adults only…their own entertainment room with videos, films and a pool table, plus a food kiosk that offers choices other than regular hospital food.  The staff is trained on how to communicate and care for these young people and their specific needs.  I hope this Unit idea can come to Canada sooner than later.

I also got to meet at the TCT Conference, the author of “Cancer in Young Adults Through Parents’ Eyes”,  Anne Grinyer.  I highly recommend her book.  It is terrific resource for young adult cancer awareness.

What is next for me?  Getting “Chasing Rainbows” translated into Spanish, Italian, Romanian, German,  Hindi, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, etc. is the goal I am continuing to work on.   I will be attending the LiveStrong Young Adult Alliance Conference in Austin, Texas on Nov 3-5th  again this Fall.  To have the film translated in Spanish by then would be fantastic!   I love this conference…run by so many young adult cancer survivors…who also love to go dancing into the wee hours at the fabulous music clubs in Austin.

So, my dear daughter, Sara…I know you are smiling.  Other young adults living with cancer are being seen heard more than the were in 1997 when you were first diagnosed.  Your dream for making young adults with cancer feel less isolated and alone is coming true!  Way to go!   I will continue to do what needs to be done!  Love, Mom.

As of April 2010, I have either screened or distributed the film in B.C., Canada, and the USA.  Chasing Rainbows” is now translated into French and it is having its French World Premiere Screening in Quebec City at the IPOS/CAPO Conference on May 27th.

This Spring I have been asked to attend the Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Adult Cancer Conference in London, England…so Europe here we come.

Today I received an email from a woman from India, who I met at the Control Cancer, Go Public Conference in Ottawa last year,  who is in the process of translating “Chasing Rainbows” into the Marathi and Hindi languages.

April 9 and 17th, we held two House Concerts, with solo gutarist, Ed Henderson, for National Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week…one in Vancouver and one in Whistler, B.C.  I handed out “Cancer Sucks” stickers and i[2]y Stupid Cancer.com bracelets.  (Photos to come).

I have been asked to attend “Fostering Cancer Survivorship Research in Canada: Building Capacity through a Research Consortium” workshop at UBC next week.  They wanted a young adult cancer advocate and a caregiver perspective represented at this meeting.  I will be there.

These are all exciting opportunities to advocate for young adult cancer awareness.  And, until Sara tells me differently, I will continue to “change the world” on her behalf.

More to come…

Still, Chasing Rainbows,

Pat

I Chased Rainbows out to Ottawa, Ontario Sept 23 for the Go Public, Control Cancer Global Leadershop Conference where I found out that getting “Chasing Rainbows” transcribed into as many Global languages possible is one of my new goals.  The French Versioning is now finished.  Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Malay, Italian are the next to come.  It is already in Dutch subtitles.  So much more to do!

Three more Screenings in Hamilton, Ontario came next on Sept 29 at the Juravinski Cancer Centre and at the Movie Palace Theatre, hosted by Wellwood in celebration of their new Women’s Young Adult Support group!  I met some wonderful new young adult cancer survivors who joined me at our presentations as quest speakers!  I love that part!

Next, I flew down to Austin, Texas for the LiveStrong Young Adult Alliance Conference for Nov 11-13th.  Fun! Fun! Fun!   Tons more of young adult survivors, great networking opportunity with USA young adult groups and Australia.  Met Drew from “BlameDrew’s Cancer”,  and Adam Garone, founder of Movember and Jack Bouffard from the Stupid Cancer Show.  Matthew Zachary was there, too.  Lorna of Team Shan, and  Pam of Ali’s Journey and Bill from Testicular Cancer Canada were the other Canadian’s there.  Energy, ideas and inspiration!  Great trip!

CAPO is next in May 2010.   Bottom Line:  Still much to do to support the young adult voice for cancer.  I am so grateful I can still continue to make Sara’s dream come true!   Love her, miss her, wish she was here!  I will keep Chasing Rainbows until the work is done!   Bye for now!  Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!   Pat