Okay, I've been fighting the urge and fighting the urge, and it was my grocery store flier that finally pushed me over the edge. They had a picture of Campbell's Soup Cans that are pink ... special edition cans to help in the fight against breast cancer.
I'm certainly not in support of breast cancer; I don't think that we need to hear its side of the story or anything. And I don't begrudge the Susan B. Komen org any of the research it can get.
But dammit, I want it some of that corporate sponsorship, too!
Of course, childhood cancer is personal with me and I want more funding for research there. Childhood cancer gets very little of the pie. And Wilms Tumor suffers from its very success. Because Stage 1 Wilms Cancer, non-bilateral, has such great statistics, good luck getting any research money thrown that way. I just found out that there is NO PROTOCOL for relapsed Wilms'. Doctors just have to make it up as they go, getting ideas from other doctors who often their patients tell them about.
And how about ovarian cancer? Liver cancer? Things that aren't as commercially chic right now?
You can't buy a product marketed to women that doesn't have a breast cancer tie-in. Kitchen-Aid mixers, Avon ... even stamps! US stamps!
I applaud those working for breast cancer research for doing this. It's brilliant. Now, teach the rest of us.
It's a hard road ahead, perhaps most for childhood cancer research. When Melissa Etheridge stands up, bald, and plays her guitar, we cheer. When a child stands up, bald, we cower. We don't want to see it.
Can you imagine ... a green-braceleted Barbie? Or Barbie with a lemonade stand, sending her profits to CureSearch?
How about "Hammers for your Hammer" -- a tie-in between testicular cancer research and Home Depot tools?
Eggbeaters for Ovarian Cancer Research?
You probably know that this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Last month was Childhood Cancer Awareness month.
Who knew.
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3 comments:
Lizard Eater, you said EXACTLY, EXACTLY what I have been thinking ever since I saw pink-frosted breast-cancer cupcakes at the grocery store bakery the other day. Where is my myeloma cupcake?
I totally agree. I mean..I am totally pro-pink. My mom had breast cancer and one of my friends has it as well. I have the breast cancer checks..I donate to their walks..I have a tshirt that says save my ta-tas..
But I would have ovarian cancer checks if they made them. I would love to have a shirt that said save my girls. I support all cancer research..but it would be nice if mine (and others) were as out there as breast cancer. I wish it was as cool to donate to them.
I lost my Mom to Lung Cancer last year, and while you'd think since the Surgeon General says things on cigs. and everything (said tongue-in-cheek) that LC would get some funding... It's pretty low on the funding totem-pole too... and the survival rate shows it.
I had NO IDEA that childhood cancers were so underfunded. I'm trying to throw some light on these 'under-represented cancers' on my own blog--so be assured I'm taking note.
I do support pink, but like you I wonder--what about everybody else?
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