October Newsletter

Happy October, Happy Diwali and Happy Halloween, Warriors! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fight Like A Warrior joins the international movement of raising awareness and showing our support for Breast cancer victims and their families. World Mental Health Day was on the 10th.

Fight Like A Warrior recently held a campaign involving a news article about the chronic illness community. Join us in spreading awareness and advocacy for these October awareness days and take a look at FLAW's recent campaign with Healp.co. Also, enjoy our regular monthly segments- Spoonie Small Business and Chronic Illness In The News. Let's get started!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Statistics, awareness and support

In 2022 in the United States, it’s estimated that 43,780 people, 43,250 women and 530 men, are going to die from breast cancer.

According to the CDC, about 9% of all new cases of breast cancer in the U.S. are found in women younger than 45. Breast cancer risk increases as women get older.

Racial disparities cause Black patients to have a 41% higher death rate when compared their white counterparts, often due to a delay in diagnosis.

About 170,000 people in the United States are living with metastatic breast cancer. Learn more about screening and early detection tests for breast cancer here.

This information is provided by Breastcancer.org.

 

If you are fighting breast cancer, know that you’re not alone. For those with metastatic breast cancer, METAvivor provides peer-to-peer support groups across the US here.

For Black patients with breast cancer, the African American Breast Cancer Alliance offers in-person and online support groups for people diagnosed with breast cancer and you can learn more on their website. 

For those looking to share with their LGBT community about their experiences with breast cancer, the National LGBT Cancer Network offers peer online support meetings for LGBT people fighting cancer here. 
 

The Think Before You Pink Project

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World Mental Health Day

Oct. 10, 2022

Make Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority

We at FLAW believe mental health is as important as physical health.

This year, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) focused on mental health issues impacted by Covid-19, respectively. WFMH and WHO is focused this year on their mission statement for 2022: Make Mental Health and Well-Being for all a Global Priority.

 
WHO World Mental Health Day

Spoonie Small Business

@trufaces

Help us welcome our SSB guest this month, Emilee! Emilee is co-founder of Tru Faces, an organization which advocates and helps share your stories of living with chronic illness. Emilee is legally blind and co-funds the business with her sister Hannah. Listen and/or read our interview with Emilee below!

Emilee's Interview

FLAW and Healp campaign

#OurFightIsReal

The Daily Mail recently published an article by Emma James called "Addicted to being sad: Teenage girls with invisible illnesses - known as 'Spoonies' - post TikToks of themselves crying or in hospital to generate thousands of likes - as experts raise concerns over internet-induced wave of mass anxiety."

This article is filled with dangerous, gaslighting behaviour towards the chronic illness community. While this has been a horrible and tragic event, we are doing what we do best: fighting back.

Fight Like A Warrior teamed up with Healp.co to create the campaign #OurFightIsReal. FLAW and Healp are encouraging people to join the movement.

Here’s how to participate: 

  • Use Emma James’ Daily Mail article, “Addicted to being sad: Teenage girls with invisible illnesses - known as 'Spoonies' - post TikToks of themselves crying or in hospital to generate thousands of likes - as experts raise concerns over internet-induced wave of mass anxiety” as the background in your post/video. 

    • Post Instructions: Add a photo of the article at the end or beginning of your post.

    • Video Instructions: If you are creating a video, you might consider using the article as the background or including a picture as a reference.

  • Post a photo and/or video of you sharing your diagnoses and your thoughts/feelings towards this article.

  • Post it on your: Feed, Story, IG Reels or TikTok  and use the hashtag “#OurFightIsReal” and tag @fightlikeawarrior and @healp.co and @dailymail.

This campaign started on Oct. 17 but it isn't over. Join us and Healp.co to prove #OurFightIsReal.

Change.org petition to remove article

Chronic Illness in the News

California sees increase in RSV, a respiratory illness that can be dangerous for babies

Some California children's hospitals are straining under a surge of RSV, a respiratory illness that can cause babies to struggle to breathe. At least three major children's hospitals say they have experienced either a strain or a stretching of resources because of RSV.

Being Real About Breast Cancer

The challenges that come with breast cancer aren't just medical. These resources can help with self care, body image, relationships, and more.

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