Imagine if, on the same day you were diagnosed with cancer, you could talk to someone who had the same kind of cancer you have, who was just deemed cured, and ask her what her journey was like. You could her if she changed her lifestyle, or how she told her family, or what shampoo she used to help with hair loss: You could ask her anything. What kind of value would you put on?information like that?
If you?ve been through cancer and come out the other side, you could be that person for someone. And it wouldn?t cost you anything except your time. You could take all of the pain, suffering, joy, and encouragement that you?ve experienced during your own cancer journey, put it into a ?capsule,? and lock it away until someone else needs it. As soon as a person in need discovers it, those seconds, minutes, or hours you spend with a newly diagnosed person with cancer will be worth more than you ever would have thought.
I know this because after I was diagnosed with breast cancer I met someone who selflessly shared her experiences with me. This had a profound impact on my own treatments and inspired me to share my own experiences in order to try to help others. Despite steadfast support from family and friends, I knew firsthand how awful the feeling of isolation could be. So I set out to compile all the information I could about my battle. I outlined everything that happened in my journal and even shared my medical records with others, something I had previously kept to the confidence of my doctors. I found that the most helpful and trustworthy information came straight from other patients and I wanted to be one of them.?
In today?s world,?it?s money that?s increasingly fleeting and disposable, while time is more precious and valued.?That?s why at IHadCancer.com, the cancer support network I started in 2011, we?re more invested in??time-raising??than we are in fundraising. While fundraising is the act of raising?money to help?a cause,?time-raising is the act of raising time to achieve the same goal. It?s getting?survivors and supporters?to think about how they spend their time?and, we hope, inspiring them to find a way to pay it forward and make good use of the time they know they?re so fortunate to have.
So instead of asking for $20 from people who?ve been affected by cancer, we want a minute of their time, or five minutes, or an hour.?At IHadCancer we?ll take whatever someone wants to give, because, in our opinion, time equals experience. Those affected by cancer have garnered a ?lifetime of experience,? oftentimes in a matter of months. Passing along this type of information to someone who has just found out they have cancer helps them realize?at a time when they may feel extremely lost?that they are NOT alone.
This has been proven by the 10,000+ members who?ve joined our community over the past two years. We?ve been consistently inspired and encouraged by their willingness to be vulnerable and strong enough to share their stories (the ugly, the beautiful, and everything in between) with the sole hope of being able to help themselves, their loved ones, or many times, complete strangers.
Our hope is that the other 12 million+ survivors, supporters, and fighters in the world today will soon start to take time to do the same. Collectively, with a little bit of your time?and time from all of these cancer fighters, survivors, and supporters?we can do something?huge.?We believe that the dividends that time pays back could help future generations beat this disease. Minimally, it will help one person in need?and that?s all we?re trying to do.
Are you a cancer survivor or fighter? Have you supported someone with cancer? How will you spend your time today?
Related Stories on TakePart:
??The Sky-High Price of Chemotherapy: Why Do Cancer Drugs Cost So Much?
??The Real Costs of Cancer (Infographic)
??What Group Gets Cervical Cancer Twice as Often?
These are solely the author's opinions and do not represent those of TakePart, LLC or its affiliates.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/op-ed-5-minute-way-help-someone-cancer-193713704.html
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