Unfortunately, far too many people are diagnosed with cancer each and every day. With all the advances in research, many types of cancer that were once terminal are now curable. It is scary to get a cancer diagnosis, but with the support and right resources, this battle can be won and it doesn’t have to be accomplished alone. The American Cancer Society is a great resource for patients and their families.
CANCER AFFECTS US ALL
This is the phrase you find when you google the American Cancer Society. You may not have had or have cancer, but chances are that a loved one or friend has been affected by cancer. It is scary to hear that word associated with a diagnosis, but one of the best resources you can refer to is the American Cancer Society. They have extensive online resources (www.cancer.org) and are supported by huge fundraising initiatives.
ACS ONLINE
The website includes many subheadings including the following: Cancer A-Z, Stay Healthy, Treatment and Support, Our Research, Get Involved, Our Partners and About Us. There is also a live chat component and a cancer helpline (800-227-2345).
*Cancer A-Z lists all cancers from A to Z. Within each description, there is information about the specific type of cancer, risk, and prevention, early detection, diagnosis, understanding the diagnosis, and treatment. There are also downloadable PDFs, related topic, news, stories and other resources.
*Stay Healthy includes guidelines about making healthy choices to decrease your odds of receiving a cancer diagnosis, including not smoking, sun safety, eating healthy, staying active, screenings, other stay healthy topics, and additional cancer prevention tools.
*Treatment and Support includes understanding your diagnosis, finding, paying for your treatment, what the treatment may be like, any side effects, how children in a cancer diagnosis family are affected, support for caregivers and family members, hospice care if needed, more topics in treatment, support, and tools to help you understand.
*Our Research has up-to-date articles written about the research the ACS is doing along with cancer facts, statistics, finding answers that save lives, and other ways to investigate their research.
*Get Involved is a great resource for the families and loved ones of those diagnosed with cancer. It’s also a great place for cancer survivors to visit. It includes volunteer opportunities, how to donate, and fundraising endeavors. Other suggestions are planning a gift, shopping to save lives, celebrating a loved one, and being an advocate. Many times people who surround the individual who is diagnosed feel at a loss of what they can do. They want to help in any way possible and want to keep themselves busy and active. Volunteering and fundraising are great ways for these individuals to help and make a difference in the life of their loved one and the lives of others affected by cancer.
*Our Partners include a partner’s spotlight, corporate alliances, CEOs against cancer, coaches vs. cancer, and brand ambassadors. If this charity is near and dear to your heart, it is a great place to see what companies support the ACS efforts. In turn, you can support these companies with your business to show additional support of the ACS. There are many well-known companies that support the ACS making it very easy to show your support.
*About Us encompasses the history, research, programs, finances, and communities of the ACS. It also includes their awards and recognition, careers, leadership, and media resources. Sometimes when you want to donate money to a charity, it is nice to know where it is actually going and what is being done with it.