F*ck Cancer: Ditch the Pink and Embrace the F Word
Ditch the pink and embrace the F word.
That's the advice of Yael Cohen, the 26-year-old founder of F*ck Cancer, also known by its PG moniker, "F Cancer." Cohen's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, and Cohen got her mom a shirt that read, "F*ck Cancer." Her mom proceeded to wear the tee everywhere, and Cohen witnessed firsthand how people responded to the irreverence. She realized then and there she had hatched an international movement to stop sugarcoating cancer.
"I learned more than I ever thought I'd know or ever really wanted to know about the cancer space," says Cohen. "It became really apparent that there were things we weren't doing and things we could do better." Namely, engaging her own generation, which is neither the target audience nor the typical donor for a cancer charity.
Because 90% of cancers are curable if found in stage one, F Cancer focuses on early detection and education. The site offers a wealth of knowledge ranging from how to do a self-exam to breaking cancer news to your family. There are no doctors on F Cancer's staff, but the team has medical advisors and psychologists on hand and also taps the knowledge in peer-reviewed medical journals. "We do not give treatment advice. We give human advice," says Cohen, adding that it's the sharing of this information - often on social media - that really separates F Cancer.
"We give people a mantra, a war cry, and that's why they come, along with the rest of it," says Cohen. F Cancer is building out its own platform where the community can come together and better engage, interact and share information and personal experiences. The organization leverages "the usual suspects" of social media - Twitter and Facebook - and crowdfunds via Crowdrise to engage the online audience.
Since founding F Cancer in 2009, Cohen has spoken at Summit Series, the Clinton Global Initiative, TEDWomen, TEDxVancouver, the United Nations Nexus Conference and TEDMED. The impact of Cohen and F Cancer is widespread for good reason - Cohen is engaging a young audience on the platforms it uses with F Cancer's trademark irreverence and lack of political correctness.
"Why do you have to be PC? Why is it a delicate thing? You are fighting the fight of your life," says Cohen. "You go through the most terrible, disgusting, hilarious things that can happen to your body - why do we have to pretend that they're not? I think that there are parts of cancer that are really funny, and anybody who doesn't see that has already lost it all. When you've lost your cancer humor, you've lost it all."
Cohen favors a more honest approach to cancer treatment and awareness.
"None of us are prepared for cancer, we just figure it out very quickly when it happens, and for some reason we like to sugarcoat it," says Cohen. "We like patients to tell us about the silver lining, we like to see headscarves so we don't see a bald head. You do all these things that really diminish the anxiety around the patient, and my entire focus is about the patient. And for some reason, that's really rare in the cancer space."
Also rare in the cancer space? F bombs. You might think a name like F Cancer would hinder partnerships, but the organization has been able to seek partners who share its irreverence, edge and shock value. Last year, the organization partnered with Funny or Die - an organization well-versed in using humor to broach complicated and grave issues that should be discussed. The Funny or Die partnership yielded a " Touching Yourselves" video contest, where people submitted videos of humorous self-exams - an edgy approach to get people to talk about early detection.
"You let people attract and engage with a serious topic - something that they might not have otherwise reacted to - and you open up access to this cool area of discussion," says Cohen, who's partnering with Funny or Die again this year.
Cohen has been named one of the most creative people in business, but she blushes at the mention of the accolade. With a background in finance, Cohen winged it when she launched F Cancer, and she believes her lack of knowledge of the space was a blessing in disguise. "I did what was logical to me, and apparently that was outside the box," says Cohen, mostly crediting her innovative approach to being a hip millennial. She found it a natural and obvious choice to be honest, open and authentic and use the digital space to connect with fellow millennials.
"F Cancer is where people go to feel a connection with our community. It's where they share what they are going through, what they went through, where they help each other, where the cumulative experiential knowledge of the community can come and blossom, and that helps the patient to cope," says Cohen.
Now that F Cancer is at the epicenter of these crucial conversations, the company is working with data specialists to collect the "social and emotional data" of cancer. "No one is really looking to collect the emotional data of cancer, and that's what we've been dealing with for years," says Cohen. "Now, we want to make sure that it doesn't only benefit our cancer community, but that it benefits other cancer communities, too."
This series is presented by Gap Styld.by, and Gap provided Kenji's wardrobe.