RESOURCES
(1) Why it’s important to find cancer early
(2) When should I get checked?
(3) Cancer education
(4) Colorectal cancer screening information
Meet Felecia, A SURVIVOR
Diagnosis: Stage III squamous non small cell lung cancer
How did you find out? Went to my doctor and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia after an X-ray. My cough wasn’t getting better and one day I coughed up blood, I immediately went to the ER. I received a CT Scan and bloodwork and it was detected.
How are you doing today? I am nearly 8 years cancer free and feeling GREAT!
Do you have any advice to share to anyone who’s scared to get checked? Early detection is key. Trust your instincts and seek medical advice as soon as possible. Get yearly check ups & testing, regardless of your age or health. Please don’t let your fear decide your future!
Meet Tina, A SURVIVOR
Diagnosis: Stage 1 Breast Cancer- requiring 2 surgeries, chemo, and radiation! I had an aggressive tumor type. Mine was not genetic. Only 20% of breast cancers are genetic.
How did you find out? Mine was found through a routine mammogram. I was 4 months late for it due to being sick on the original scheduled date.
How are you doing today? I am 3 years out from diagnosis and thriving! I take a daily pill, Tamoxifen, and will be on this for 7 more years. I am seen by an oncologist every 4 months.
Do you have any advice to share to anyone who’s scared to get checked? Facing the possibility of my life ending has been nothing but a gift for me. There have been so many valuable lessons as to what I want the rest of my life to look like and I’m so blessed to have the chance to make it happen. I now push myself to do things that I feared or was hesitant towards. I put a lot of thought into the people, places, and experiences that make me the happiest and make me a better person!
Meet Nicholas, A SURVIVOR
Diagnosis: Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
How did you find out? A lump began to grow in my neck. I went to my Primary Care, who then referred me to an ENT, who ordered the biopsy that confirmed my diagnosis.
How are you doing today? I am in complete remission, with no cancer detected in my system. PET scans once a year, with blood work every 6 months.
Do you have any advice to share to anyone who’s scared to get checked? While the idea of being diagnosed with cancer is scary, the more horrific tragedy would be to ignore the signs and push off what could be a life saving procedure.
Meet Cat, A SURVIVOR
Diagnosis: Leukemia. Being leukemia I was t-cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (there are no stages).
How did you find out? I had a lot of random pains and got out of breath from simply going up stairs.
How are you doing today? I am doing better than ever today! There is little to complain about.
Do you have any advice to share to anyone who’s scared to get checked? I would say it never hurts to go get checked. It gives you more time to do what you love. Whatever little enjoyments you get from life, you help yourself get to do them more.
Meet Lorie, A SURVIVOR
Diagnosis: Stage 1 Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (breast cancer)
How did you find out? My nurse practitioner found a lump at my annual appointment. She thought it was a cyst but sent me for a diagnostic mammogram. I didn’t think anything of it but after the mammogram and an immediate ultrasound, the radiologist sat me down and said it was most likely cancer – I was shocked. I had a biopsy four days later and another four days later I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer.
How are you doing today? I am doing well. I will be on hormone therapy for another four and a half years (and it has some side effects) but my surgery (lumpectomy) and treatment (radiation) was successful.
Do you have any advice to share to anyone who’s scared to get checked? Get checked! And do your monthly self-exams and annual mammograms. The earlier cancer, especially breast cancer, is found, the more successful the treatment. My tumor grew in just a year (wasn’t in my mammogram just a year earlier) – so don’t put off your annual appointments and exams.
Meet Thomas, A SURVIVOR
Diagnosis: Acute AML Leukemia (no stages)
How did you find out? Severe back pain that I thought was arthritis. It wasn’t! (lol)
How are you doing today? Cured.
Do you have any advice to share to anyone who’s scared to get checked? Cancer is more ubiquitous because we are living longer or that was the summation my oncologist surmised. Having your white cell count measured once a year is only prudent.
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR & FELLOW CANCER SURVIVOR, DEREK DIENNER
A MESSAGE FROM THE DP, STEVE BUCKWALTER
It all started with an idea. I wanted to do something a little different for this project. Outdoor light bulbs aren’t new per se, but I really wanted to not see the cross strings suspending them, and just have a little extra flavor of magic. So I started trying to figure out how I could actually do it within budget.
THE CREW
DIRECTOR | Derek Dienner
PRODUCER; WRITER | Catlin Williams
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY | Steve Buckwalter
EDITOR; AC; 2ND CAMERA OPERATOR | Aaron Dienner
GRIP/ELECTRIC | Seth Bortner, Zacc Bangert
BTS PHOTOGRAPHER; GRIP | Jordan Graff
MARKETING | Lisbet Byler
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT | Hanna Weiss
VOICEOVER ARTIST | Ray Witbeck
GEAR RENTAL | Chris Aumen
A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SURVIVORS WHO APPEARED IN THE PSA AND SHARED THEIR STORIES WITH THE HOPE OF HELPING OTHERS | Thomas, Lorie, Cat, Nicholas, Tina, and Felecia
BEHIND THE SCENES
For press inquiries please contact lisbet@makefilms.cc.