What Cancer Problem Will We Fix Today?
Which Cancer Problem Will We Fix Today?
Today, simply surviving cancer seems to be the focus. To give people more time; to just make it through. What if we could do better? What if we could do more than just help people survive? What if we could fix the problems that make the daily hardships of cancer harder than they should be? At Livestrong, these are the questions that drive us; the questions that we think about every day!
Livestrong has always strived to find and fill the gaps in cancer care. We seek out the areas where no one else has gone; where patients and survivors have no help, no resources, yet face the greatest needs at the hardest time in their life.
Our legacy in Survivorship is one of breaking new ground for survivors and patients. Sixteen years ago we did just that when we created a new way for survivors and caregivers to navigate this horrible disease through Survivorship Navigation Services. Our legacy survivorship programs have now helped serve and support more than 8.7 million people, saving more than $65 million in healthcare related costs.
We also have a terrific history of creating collaborative partnerships to take aim at gaps in cancer care. As a result, we have invested in more than 576 programs and initiatives. A prime example is our Livestrong at the YMCA program (809 locations in 42 states) that has helped more than 77,000 cancer survivors get back on their feet and reclaim their quality of life. Our Livestrong at School program is yet another, where more than 137,000 teachers have used this program in reaching more than 4 million students, including 247,000 students last year alone.
Even with this amazing success, we know that the way we live with cancer has changed — and we have to change those we serve. We realize that the best organizations aren’t static — but continue to evolve.
Livestrong is at a pivotal place in its history, and we are excited to build on our legacy, while embracing and welcoming change, innovation, and progress toward new horizons. Friends, we return to the frontier, searching for and implementing new solutions to solve the practical problems cancer survivors face every day.
During the last few weeks, we have announced several new initiatives (along with an exciting new visual identity!) to help solve the problems that make living with cancer harder than it has to be. Livestrong is more than hope, more than a wristband. And our new logo is more than a new mark. It’s a symbol of our creative spirit; our courage and willingness to head back to the frontier; to seek new and better solutions.
You’ve been with us for nearly 25 years. I’m going to ask you to join with us again now, as we embrace a new decade, an evolved identity, and pursue new frontiers. We need your support to be successful. We need your experiences to help guide our work.
Stay tuned — we’ll continue to post featured blogs that highlight more details on the new initiatives highlighted above. Thank you for your support, your generosity, and for helping us continue to change the world of cancer.
I look forward to sharing that journey with you.
Greg Lee
President / CEO / Cancer Survivor
What Cancer Problem Will We Fix Today? was originally published in Livestrong Voices on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.