Best of Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2014

"...be inspired and punch a hole in the wall of numbness and dumbness. And now is the time to do it. It's going to take a very strong person to punch that hole. But that person or persons will lead the way to the next place. One just sits and waits for the rumpus to begin."  - Maurice Sendak

The Lung Cancer Awareness advocates have been busy! While we didn't have sports teams and cheerleaders wearing pearls or white ribbons for us, I think we had better visibility than last year. We are making progress in reaching more people, and equally as important, we are growing stronger as a community. As my friend and fellow lung cancer blogger said so well, "We may be low on funding, but we’re big on community." (If you haven't read it before, click on that link for a wonderful post about the life-altering power of community.)

There were thousands of inspiring and educational videos, blogs, stories, tweets, and articles during the month of November. Since it would take a long time (like, a month) to repeat them all here, I will instead highlight a few of my favorites. So grab some popcorn and settle in to enjoy this Best Of #LCAM14.

Best Infographics

 

• Who doesn't love an acronym?

• I hate to admit it, but I think I was one of them. Are you?

• DustyJoy.org created an entire alphabet of facts about lung cancer.

Post by DustyJoy.org.

• LUNGevity challenged lung cancer patients, caregivers, and advocates to take pictures of themselves wearing a LUNGevity band and holding facts about lung cancer. The goal? To educate and change the face of lung cancer. 

• Damien (aka @CoolioUserName), a fellow lung cancer traveler, created a whole slew of awesome graphics. Here are a few of my favorites.

Best Blog Posts

•  Oren Miller, a young dad with stage IV lung cancer, shares what he has learned from living with this disease. His beautiful post reads like a love letter to his family. "I Am A Dad With Stage 4 Lung Cancer, And Here's What I Know Now"

• Lisa Goldman, young mom and fellow ROS1er wrote this funny, snarky post that asks what we need to do to raise awareness for this disease. "Lungs. They're Right Under Your Boobs! (Celebrating Lung Cancer Awareness Month)"

Bonus - because of the great response to her new slogan, Lisa created some merchandise, and the proceeds from the sales will go to the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation.

Best Videos

• Terrified by the awful statistics? Need some hope? Then watch the remarkable Linnea Duff, a 10-year (yes, you read that right) survivor of stage IV lung cancer, as she talks about living with lung cancer. "It's Possible to Live WITH Cancer | GRACE :: Lung Cancer"

• Lace up your gloves, folks, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is asking you to join the fight. This video takes us back to the first days of the war on cancer, and looks at where we are today. "Addario Lung Cancer Foundation - Join the Fight!"

• I really hope by now you know more than 99% of the women in this survey. Watch the LungForce video "Women's Lung Health Barometer" to make sure.

• For the past year, Molly Golbon has allowed a camera crew to follow her experiences as a young mom with stage IV lung cancer. I cannot fathom the courage it took for her to let them film her getting scan results. She must be made of steel. I think I speak for the whole lung cancer community when I say a heartfelt thank you to her and her family for opening up their lives to help educate the nation about this disease. Please take the time to watch this amazing documentary. "Molly's Journey: Living with Lung Cancer."

Well, there you have it. What a remarkable month. I am so proud of the lung cancer community. Let's do it even bigger and better next year!