In 2013 we met some awesome people on Facebook and Twitter – all of them have been dealing with cancer and writing about it. Each story is unique, but there are bonds too as we connect through shared experiences.
Here are some of the people we connected with in 2013 and we think you should follow in 2014:
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Alicia – We’ve been a fan of Alicia’s since she wrote about her experience at our National Cancer Survivor’s Day in 2012 and her dislike of the term “survivor.” Commenting on Angelina Jolie’s preventive mastectomy, she dissects “neat cancer narratives” and points out that treating cancer requires making really difficult decisions.
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Amanda & Scott (and baby Gordon!) – While Amanda’s been going through treatment, Scott’s been sharing the often untold story of what life is like as a partner. Bonus: We can always count on baby Gordon when we need a smile. Case in point: Gordon dancing to Nicki Minaj is one of the cutest videos on YouTube.
Blog | Twitter:
Amanda,
Scott -
Katie – Early on we sensed that Katie’s not the type to shy away from difficult discussions. She’s written about the lifestyle pressures one feels after cancer treatment is over and the changes she faces. She also appeared on CTV news in Ottawa to have a frank discussion on reconstruction after breast cancer surgery.
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Kevin – Kevin got our attention with his blog post “Honk if You’re a Hero: P.S., you are”. He points out that simply being a cancer survivor doesn’t make you a hero; instead, heroes are those who recognize that the "needs and sufferings of others are more worthy to address than our own." We were hooked.
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Laura – Whether it’s sharing funny cat pictures, giving us a heads up of what’s going on in Toronto, or letting us know that the Toronto Public Library has eMagazines, we can always count on Laura to find the entertaining bits of the internet.
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Megan - Megan got our attention this spring with her #shareyourstory hashtag project. She encouraged the Twitterverse to share their cancer stories, and was named one of “Canadian Women Changing Healthcare” because of the movement she created.
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Phillip – What does a day in the life of a multiple myeloma patient look like? Phillip’s collection of expressive and telling photos shed some light. A picture’s worth a thousand words, though his words are certainly worth reading too!
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Randy - A regular participant in the Toronto Weekend to End Women's Cancers walk, this year was a victory walk for Randy. It is thanks to the generous support from the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation's fundraising that we can continue to offer innovative programs at ELLICSR. Randy not only helps raise those funds, she also gives us great feedback on how we can make our programs better and more relevant to the people who want them. Thanks, Randy!
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Steph – From sharing her story with medical students at U of T to speaking at the closing ceremony of the Toronto Weekend to End Women’s Cancers walk, Steph’s been educating people on what life is like as a young person with cancer. Authentic and forthright, we particularly like her post on helping a friend in need.
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Thomas - It’s hard not to notice a guy with a 10-foot ball. We met Thomas when he began pushing his “lefty” around Canada to raise awareness about testicular cancer. We see where he gets the name “I am Ballsy”.
Website | Twitter
Who do you think we should follow in 2014? Share with us on
Twitter or
Facebook.
