1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
Title: "After losing my hair, lessons come from unexpected source" Journalist involved: Sue Schroder
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Sunday Nov. 21, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Synopsis: This entry is a personal column on the experience of losing my hair to chemotherapy during cancer treatment. Significant findings: 1. Regardless of the cancer that takes our hair, the experience is universal. 2. Some of cancer's worst moments offer some of the greatest lessons and gifts.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
No documents, data, Internet resources or FOI requests were used in preparation of this entry. This entry is a column based on my personal experience of living with a cancer called follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
The column on losing my hair to chemo compares the experience with that of the late "Saturday Night Live" comedian Gilda Radner, who wrote about it in her book, "It's Always Something," the story of her fight against ovarian cancer. It also quotes my daughter. As cancer survivors come to realize, our children often become our teachers and a great source of strength if we let them.
6. Results (if any).
Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Mi., will reprint one column and an online to it and distribute it to all those attending a 2-day education program for patients and their families dealing with cancer. It had asked permission to reprint and distribute them all. The Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program has asked to and will reprint a column and an online link and distribute them to patients through clinical trial research nurses. The community cancer research and education program offers local access to more than 150 national cancer prevention and treatment clinical trials. It is made up of more than 300 West and Northern Lower Michigan physicians and other health care providers in 39 counties and is funded through the National Cancer Institute and its member hospitals and affiliates. For me, the most rewarding results come from others with cancer or their families. My most memorable from this entry came from the sister of a woman who was a local pioneer in forming breast cancer support groups throughout the area. "When my sister was losing her hair, she would never let any of us in her family close to her to know what was going on, and that hurt. Now, after reading your column, I understand."
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Be honest: Be real; Writing a column on cancer from the perspective of a long-time journalist means being uncomfortably personal at times, but such a column is both a tremendous opportunity and responsibility. As a journalist and someone with cancer, you have the opportunity, the skills and experience – professional and personal – to go into both the health care bureaucracy and the world of cancer in a way few others can. You can go where other patients often can_t or don't and help them learn they can do it too. You also can help those who love and support them better understand what they're going through: You have a unique opportunity to make a difference in readers' lives.