A former professor of mine at Clemson was very passionate about taking part in initiatives that raise funds for important health issues, such as childhood cancer, and exposing her students to the work of organizations that work hard to fund research that is critical to finding a cure for potentially fatal diseases and terminal illnesses. One such organization that we got a chance to learn about in my Health Communication class was named Turn It Gold.
Turn It Gold is a non-profit organization that works to fund the battle to find a cure for childhood cancer by funding research efforts and raising public awareness and community engagement in the fight to end childhood cancer. The Turn It Gold Movement highlighted the impact of the Dina family, led by Mike and Angela Dina, as they worked to raise awareness about the serious effects of childhood cancer and the lack of research and funding efforts aimed towards it as opposed to adult cancer.
The impetus of this movement was Mike and Angela's own son, Charlie Dina, who was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma at age 4. Although given a 50% chance of survival, Charlie is alive today, continuing his fight to be cancer free, while inspiring others around him to be brave and be bold. One of the things that stood out in the documentary I watched on the Movement were all the times the families fighting cancer would get to meet with various sports teams, including the Clemson's Women's Basketball Team.
This was a highlight because the families, specifically the diagnosed children, got to forget about whatever their present circumstance was and just focus on enjoying the support and attention from the players. These moments focus on the person who is affected by a disease, trauma, or condition, and works to achieve a holistic approach to health that values the individual battling the illness and allows the individual and his/her family to escape from their current circumstances, stop focusing on their fight for health, and just relax and be present for a moment.
The Turn It Gold organization made sure the families fighting cancer had their needs for social and community support attended to, outside of the routines and procedures that they went through day to day at medical facilities. The focus on families and their needs through fundraising efforts and developing partnerships with businesses in local communities and having school fundraising events are a way to provide relationship-centered care by creating genuine relationships between families affected by pediatric cancer, hospitals that conduct cancer research, and businesses and individuals in the community.
Providing the families of kids with cancer with opportunities to engage with individuals in the community increase their sense of social network integration and allows them to be around other families who are going through the same things that they are experiencing. The network ties that are created with individuals at various medical facilities, local businesses, churches, high schools, colleges, and universities and the affected families assist in their social support and provide needed resources, help, and encouragement that the families would not have had if it had not been for the wonderful organization that is Turn It Gold.
