Sunday 1st June is National Cancer Survivors Day. Initially celebrated in the USA it is fast becoming a worldwide day to “demonstrate that life after cancer diagnosis can be a reality”
Cancer survivors across the globe will unite to show the world what life after cancer looks like. This unique celebration will mark the 27th annual National Cancer Survivors Day. Thousands of people in hundreds of communities across the world will hold celebrations on this day to honour cancer survivors and to show that there is life after a cancer diagnosis – and it’s something to celebrate.
National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual worldwide Celebration of Life. It is the one day each year that we come together to honour everyone who is living with a history of cancer. “A ‘survivor’ is anyone living with a history of cancer – from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life,” according to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, administrator for the celebration.
The day itself provides an opportunity for cancer survivors to connect with other survivors, celebrate milestones, and recognize the healthcare providers, family, and friends who have supported them along the way. It is a day for cancer survivors to stand together and show the world what life after cancer looks like.
“Sometimes people have very negative ideas of what life after cancer looks like,” says Foundation spokesperson, Laura Shipp. “But the reality is that more people are living longer and better quality lives after cancer than ever before. These survivors are showing us that life after cancer can be meaningful, exciting, and filled with joy.
“National Cancer Survivors Day is an opportunity for cancer survivors to come together and celebrate this new reality in cancer survivorship. There is life after cancer. It may not be the same as before cancer, but it can be beautiful, rewarding, and sometimes even better than before. And that’s something to celebrate.”
More information can be found on the National Cancer Survivors Day website, click here
Our Cancer, Older People and Advocacy project celebrates cancer survivorship and applauds our many peer volunteer advocates who are themselves cancer survivors. We often hear from our volunteers that it’s the very fact they’ve experienced and lived with cancer that drives them to volunteer to support their peers. Let’s all celebrate on June 1st.
Older People Living with Cancer 