Sharing heartfelt stories is a well-known and used marketing method that is not lost on those promoting Breast Cancer Awareness.

I shared a brief version of my story earlier in the month. I asked one of my co-workers to share her thoughts on the importance of promoting awareness of the impact that breast cancer can have on entire families. Many of us have learned that the disease impacts more than simply the person who is diagnosed.

Lori English is on Jackrabbit’s Onboarding Team. Here are her thoughts:

Although I knew people through the years who have had breast cancer it wasn’t until my sister was diagnosed that it really hit home. My super healthy sister, who did everything right to stay that way, and yet somehow cancer managed to crawl into her cells and attack her. That made it real to me. That made me vulnerable in a way I had never felt before.

As time has passed I have had more people come into my life who have had a breast cancer diagnoses and I am seeing it from a much different perspective now. It is real. It is a fight for their lives. It is scary for everyone involved.

When it becomes real to you and to others it is time to realize that as the saying goes “nobody fights alone”. We all have to step up and step in to help our people when they need us most in any way we can.

Let’s not ask them how they are. Let’s ask them what we can do to help them today. Tomorrow. Next week. Step up and step in.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lori.

Everyone’s mission is to encourage those we know to take care of themselves. Preventative care is important. Asking questions about changes in our bodies is important. Acting on suspicions is important. This may be the final day in Breast Cancer Awareness month. But each of us can continue to share our experiences – whether they are experiencing cancer or the cancer journey of a loved one. My challenge to you is to continue sharing so we can make sure that the awareness campaign never ends.