Eagle PR launched a “See the Unseen” campaign to create awareness among college students for the blood cancer lymphoma and share resources offered by the Lymphoma Research Foundation.
Nearly 20,000 teens and young adults are diagnosed with the blood cancer lymphoma every year, yet many college students believe the disease only affects people who are very young or old. A group of Oklahoma Christian University students launched a campaign throughout February and March 2022 to counter those false beliefs.
During the campaign, Eagle PR students are encouraging peers to see the signs and symptoms of lymphoma, share the struggles students with lymphoma have and support survivors with resources from the Lymphoma Research Foundation. The campaign is called “See the Unseen” because many students overlook symptoms of lymphoma, often mistaking it for illness or fatigue experienced by the average college student. The campaign has three objectives: “see signs, share stories and support survivors.”
Oklahoma Christian’s Eagle PR is a student-led public relations firm located on campus. In addition to increasing awareness, they hope to inspire peers to share common struggles faced by young adults with lymphoma, thus helping reduce the stigma which keeps patients from opening up to those around them. Eagle PR students also hope to mobilize Oklahoma Christian students to share resources among their friends so more young adults fighting lymphoma know about resources available through LRF.
Eagle PR invites the community to join the campaign by offering multiple on-campus events. Each event will give students an opportunity to take a short self-assessment and see information about lymphoma. The self-assessment, available at the campaign website www.SeeUnseen.org, helps students consider if they should reach out to a doctor about lymphoma.
A booth will be set up in the Brew on most Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. for students to take the self-assessment and post about lymphoma on social media. On Tuesdays and Fridays, students can also learn more about lymphoma and the Eagle PR campaign by playing interactive blindfold games in The Branch from 5:45-6:45 p.m. Small snacks and prizes will be provided.
The Eagle PR team believes awareness comes with education. Every three minutes, approximately one person in the United States is diagnosed with blood cancer, according to LRF. This adds up to about 90,000 teens and young adults diagnosed per year. Lymphoma is also the most common cancer among 15-39 year olds, the most common blood cancer, and the 6th most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S. The disease starts in the body’s lymph system, which is located in the immune system. According to the John Hopkins Cancer Center, “the cells collect and grow in lymph nodes and can form a mass, a tumor, or invade neighboring tissues and distinct organs.”
Eagle PR’s Co-Director Naomi Reagan said she is passionate about See the Unseen’s cause.
“I am honored to combine our team’s efforts for the next month to help fight this cancer,” Reagan said. “Before hearing someone’s story, I, too, was unaware of the silent hardships young adults endured. We have a lot of work to get done in a little time, but it is so worth it for even one person to learn about lymphoma, the struggles those diagnosed students face and the support available from LRF.”
Students may also participate in the campaign virtually by viewing the campaign’s website and social media accounts to stay updated with more information and participation in raffles. Follow the Instagram account @seetheunseen.oc, the Twitter account @oc_see, and the TikTok @seetheunseenOC throughout the campaign. During the last two weeks of the campaign, Eagle PR is challenging students to take the self-assessment and tag one of the campaign accounts on social media. Each student that does will be entered into a daily drawing for a free $5 Brew gift card.
0
0
Be First to Comment