Students from UNL’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications (CoJMC) and UNL RSO Students Together Against Cancer (STAC) have teamed up with the Lymphoma Research Foundation and The Paul Foundation to bring light to the inequity of funding research for young adult lymphoma – the most common form of blood cancer that’s a higher cancer risk for young adults than skin cancer, breast cancer or testicular cancer.
CoJMC students have launched a “1 is Still 1” change.org petition to stop young adult lymphoma from being overlooked, partnering with STAC.
Each year enough young adults to fill Memorial Stadium are diagnosed with cancer. One in five of those young adults have lymphoma. Yet, young adult cancers don’t receive the same research funding as adult cancers, which means there are fewer young adult treatments and clinical trial opportunities to ensure young adults beat lymphoma. Unfortunately, this is not widely known or understood by college students or the public, presenting a significant need to advocate for increased research funding in this specific age group.
“We are happy to help with a cancer awareness and advocacy campaign because it is STAC’s mission to assist and support other cancer awareness efforts,” said Sarah Hoagland, the president of UNL Students Together Against Cancer.
CoJMC students came up with the big idea “1 is Still 1 - Lymphoma Sucks. Advocate for every 1” to recognize that every “1” young adult with lymphoma counts. Every 1 young adult is still 1 person with their entire lives ahead of them who deserves the best treatments. Not every “1” will get diagnosed with lymphoma, but UNL students can SHOW they KNOW how to advocate for their peers and their own health. Every 1 advocating adds up to make a collective difference. UNL students can:
- Sign the “1 is Still 1” change.org petition to stop young adult lymphoma from being overlooked AND to increase research funding for young adult lymphoma
- Sign up on Instagram @1isstill1 to become an LRF advocate
- On Wednesdays, wear red to show young adults with lymphoma aren’t being overlooked at UNL
On March 10, the “N1ght of Advocacy” a college-age lymphoma survivor shared her story on social media and student advocates, health center staff and a Lincoln oncologist attended the event. The goal of the event is to inform students about lymphoma and encourage them to advocate for their health and every 1.
The Lymphoma Research Foundation is “1” of the few organizations leading research and advocacy to support young adults living with lymphoma. Eight years ago the Lymphoma Research Foundation began a focused effort to erase lymphoma from college campuses, with funding donated by The Paul Foundation. Huskers’ Students Together Against Cancer is “1” of the student organizations advocating to alleviate the financial burdens of people going through cancer treatment that college students with cancer particularly experience. STAC was founded a decade ago by Jeremy Payne, a lymphoma survivor who then realized the impact of cancer beyond health.
About Lymphoma Research Foundation: LRF is the nation’s largest nonprofit devoted exclusively to funding innovative lymphoma research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services. Learn more about LRF’s research, education and services at www.lymphoma.org.
About The Paul Foundation: The Foundation believes adolescent and young adult patients with lymphoma are an understudied population that would particularly benefit from increased and better-funded research which may include funding of ongoing lymphoma clinical trials within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Cooperative Groups.
About STAC: Students Together Against Cancer (STAC) is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial and emotional assistance to cancer patients in the localities where our student organizations operate. UNL STAC serves cancer patients living in or receiving treatment in Lincoln, Nebraska. STAC raises funds through fun events organized by its student members, through grants applied to by its student grant-writing team, and through community donations. For more information, visit UNL STAC on Facebook, Twitter, and at UNL.TeamSTAC.org.
About CoJMC students: Delani Watkins, Ilana Lewis, Lindsay Elliot, Mai Vu, Morgan Zuerlein and Spencer Swearingen are members of the 2022 UNL Bateman Team. The Public Relations Student Society of America sponsors the national Bateman Case Study Competition that gives public relations students across nearly 100 college campuses an opportunity to apply their classroom education and internship experiences to create and implement a full public relations campaign.
