Writers Donate Your Words Each September for Mesothelioma Awareness Day
“When it comes to a preventable cancer like mesothelioma, awareness truly does save lives.”
Awareness saves lives. And though I’m sure you have plenty of goals set for yourself each fall, and I’m sure many of them are time or season sensitive and important, how many items on your fall to-do list could save a life?
In observance of Annual Mesolthelioma Awareness Day, bloggers and writers are donating their talents (through a blog post) to help spread awareness. September 2014 was year 10, and examples, graphics, and links here depict what organizers were seeking that year, and will be seeking each fall.
I wrote this Hub Pages article and posted on my blogs, primarily in the week preceding the Awareness Day, at the request of a patient, to assist with this campaign. Writing throughout the month can greatly contribute to their momentum by inspiring other writers to participate as well. I targeted Hub Pages writers, because we are a creative, motivated, and effective group.
I’ve seen high-impact, well-researched articles here on Hub Pages, and I think many of us could do this topic great justice, leading to quality articles to share during that week each year.
If you are reading this after September 2014, you can keep the momentum going by putting this on your calendar, writing your article in advance, and/or planning to write about the event leading up to it each year. A well-written group of hubs could be great for sharing annually.
Heather's Story ~ Her Dad's Coat
Why You Should Share Your Talents
Again, I feel that writers here are well equipped to do this topic justice. But this mom’s story (read more here) will very succinctly and effectively illustrate to you why you should.
In addition to inspiration from patients, this is worth writing about because it is an illness that is preventable.
There are many aspects of this disease and its prevention that are well worth writing about, so there is no shortage of areas to uniquely cover.
What About You?
Do You Think You Are Up For This Challenge?
Compelling and Important Topics
One compelling example is asbestos—and you’d be startled to know how readily it can still be encountered in household objects (and in even in schools).
I hope to write multiple articles and posts this week here and elsewhere, and at least one will cover asbestos. We found ourselves dealing with an asbestos sided garage when we sold our first home, and the rules for its disposal were actually a bit unnerving.
Although we’ve all heard that asbestos is unsafe, I don’t think many folks are aware of statistics like these (from the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance—I find numbers very persuasive in general, and particularly these ones):
- Asbestos related diseases will claim the lives of 10,000 Americans this year
- 200,000 people will be living with asbestos
- Asbestos has been used in over 3,000 consumer products
- There are approximately 107,00 primary and secondary schools in the nation and the EPA estimates that most of them contain materials that contain asbestos
Your Stories
As you read through the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance website, you will probably see that you have had the potential for exposure around you your whole life. Possibly through something as seemingly benign as Heather's dad's coat.
It is meaningful that we have all faced this risk at some point or another, but that most of us have been lucky. Either because asbestos containing materials around us did not become dangerous so far, or because direct exposures we did or didn’t know about did not lead to illness.
Or perhaps you have dealt with this or related illnesses directly or indirectly. If so, you can certainly use your experience to help this hit home for other people.
“Awareness save lives....when doctors know, patients live.”
~ Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
Awareness and Hope
Although I tend to find numbers very compelling, and although there are many facts about this illness and its prevention that are important to share, I think the human side of this disease is important as well.
If you choose to participate, or at least to help share articles and blogs later this week, you will surely be exposed to some amazing stories. These faces stay with you, and I know we have writers here who can do amazing things with stories like these. And in the mean time, it is to our benefit to be infected by the hope in their stories.
