OC students encourage their peers to help spread awareness of lymphoma
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 much older. A group of Oklahoma Christian University students are working in February and March to help counter those false beliefs on campus.
During the campaign, Eagle PR students are encouraging their 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 so many students overlook the signs of lymphoma, commonly mistaking it for illness or tiredness experienced by the average college student. The campaign has three objectives that follow the slogan, which includes “see signs, share stories and support survivors.”
OC’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 among their networks about common struggles faced by young adults with lymphoma, thus helping to reduce the stigma that keeps patients from opening up to those around them. Eagle PR students also hope to mobilize OC students to share resources among their networks of friends so that more young adults fighting lymphoma know about supportive resources available from LRF, resources that even include support for siblings of young adults fighting lymphoma.
Eagle PR invites the community to join the campaign by offering multiple events that will take place on campus. 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 to consider if they should reach out to their doctor about lymphoma.
First, a booth will be set up in the Brew on most Tuesdays through spring break Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. for students to take the short 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.
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.
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. Each year, there are about 90,000 teens and young adults diagnosed. Lymphoma is also the most common cancer among the younger population (15-39). It is the most common blood cancer, and it’s the 6th most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S. The disease starts in the body’s lymph system, located in the immune system. The John Hopkins Cancer Center describes it as “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 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,” she said. “Before hearing someone’s story, I too was unaware of the silent hardships young adults endure. We have a lot of work to get done in a little time, but it’s so worth it for even one person that learns about lymphoma, the possibility of a peer having it, the struggles those students face and the support available from LRF.”