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Help Eradicate the Big Bad “Double C” with Aflac #Duckprints

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This giveaway was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Aflac. I was compensated to participate in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.”

When I became pregnant with my first child, people immediately started asking if I wanted a boy or girl. Since we had trouble conceiving, I honestly didn’t care. I just wanted a happy and healthy baby.  I am fortunate to have two healthy girls but I know some children are not as lucky.

In 2007, approximately 10,400 children age 15 or younger were diagnosed with cancer in the United States and cancer remains the leading cause of death by illness in the U.S. in this age group. But the good news is that according to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rates for all childhood cancers combined increased from 58.1 percent in 1977 to 79.6 percent in 2003.  And great companies like Aflac are helping to increase this number!

The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is one of the largest childhood cancer centers in the country which is committed to providing childhood cancer patients a brighter future through advanced medical treatment, family-centered care, a child-friendly environment and innovative research. Aflac is proud to have donated more than $87 million to the Aflac Cancer Center, with the goal of reaching $100 million by the end of 2015.

To help reach their goal, Aflac is using #Duckprints to raise awareness and donations to eradicate childhood cancer. And the best part?  You can help!

  • Aflac will donate $2 to the Aflac Cancer Center for every #Duckprints tweet/retweet on Twitter or post/share on Facebook from now through Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 11th)

To inspire your tweets and Facebook posts, I wanted to share the story of a courageous woman who’s life was saved and enhanced by the Aflac Cancer Center.  Her name is Trisha Henry Gaffney.

On Valentine’s Day 1996, 19-year-old Trisha was diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive tumor usually found in the head, neck, hands or feet of young children. Trisha’s was the first reported case to occur in the right ureter. After going through surgery to remove her right kidney, ureter and a portion of her bladder, Trisha spent a year at the Aflac Cancer Center undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.

Her treatment ended in April 1997, and she was ready to put her focus on all of the positive forces in her life. In 1998, a friend encouraged Trisha to visit the Cancer Survivor Program at the Aflac Cancer Center. The Aflac Cancer Center provides specialized, long-term follow-up care and helps identify and treat problems associated with the effects of cancer treatment to help survivors lead a full life, including school, work and a family of their own. However, the idea of going to even more doctors didn’t sit well with Trisha.

“You don’t want your cancer to define you,” Trisha said, “but as you get older, you realize it plays a much bigger part in your life than you’re willing to admit.”

After several years of going to general doctors for check-ups, Trisha finally made an appointment with the Cancer Survivor Program at the Aflac Cancer Center. During her first appointment at the Cancer Survivor Program, Trisha received her health records and was able to gain a broad understanding of her entire health history, including her treatments and the issues they could cause, called late effects.

After meeting with the Medical Director, Trisha went to a fertility specialist, who delivered some devastating news. The lab work showed Trisha’s chemotherapy and 23 radiation treatments had wreaked havoc on her body. Only one ovary was functional, and the radiation had damaged her uterus; she was approaching an early menopause, and would not be able to carry a child.

“It’s devastating when you can’t have a family,” Trisha said. “I froze my eggs that year. I thought, ‘Screw you, cancer! I want my own kid.’”

After her sister’s best friend offered to be a surrogate, Trisha and husband Andrew became parents to Isabella in April 2013. Isabella just celebrated her first birthday, and this Mother’s Day will mark Trisha’s second, thanks to the Aflac Cancer Center and its programs.

“If I hadn’t had my friend telling me to go to the Cancer Survivor Program at the Aflac Cancer Center,” Trisha said, “I wouldn’t have my daughter.”

Armed with the knowledge about her medications, treatments and the potential challenges ahead, Trisha is empowered to be an advocate for her own health. She knows it is survivorship that defines her ‒ not cancer.

Everyone loves a happy ending, right? Help Aflac provide more happy endings and eradicate childhood cancer by tweeting this inspirational story using #Duckprints.  Don’t forget that for every tweet or Facebook post using the hashtag, Aflac will donate $2 to the Aflac Cancer Center.

Surely Trisha will enjoy her Mother’s Day and you can help one Mom have a stress-free Mother’s Day, too!  One of my Experimental Mommy readers will win a $50 Restaurant.com gift card! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

27 thoughts on “Help Eradicate the Big Bad “Double C” with Aflac #Duckprints”

  5. We usually celebrate with a home made dinner. This year we may go to Legoland.

  6. My kids are going to take me out to brunch and then if it is a nice day a walk on the beach

  7. My 2 boys are older and doing their own thing…I am hoping it will be a relaxing day and they will surprise me with something…:)

  19. We are going to church and then spending a day at home resting. My sweet 11 and 14 year old bought my lunch today. Thank you

  26. My daughter had a bbq at her house for me, my mother and her boyfriends mother. It was an amazing day!

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