This Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, our video campaign shared the voices of Claire, Lindsay, Nicola and Reeta, who know first-hand why awareness matters.
All four women were honest and open throughout the process and helped create a timely reminder of why recognising the symptoms of ovarian cancer early is so important.
It was a fantastic opportunity to bring our personal stories to life and come together to share in the lived experience of ovarian cancer. I hope that the campaign showcases the importance of acting on new symptoms and how nobody is “too young for cancer."
For this year’s campaign we wanted to bring together three key themes; real stories, education, and collective support. This in turn would help us create a movement where women could learn more about the symptoms of ovarian cancer, share it within their networks and ultimately stand together to make a change.
It felt very natural and rewarding to be involved with this symptom’s awareness film, mainly because of the warmth and bond between the four of us taking part, having been through a shared experience. I was happy with the clarity of the message that came through; that if you have any doubt about ongoing vague or specific symptoms, keep pushing for a proper evaluation, including the CA125 test.
Working with Fig Films on this project felt like the perfect fit. Director, Jessi, is living with ovarian cancer herself which meant she instinctively understood the sensitivities around what the women were sharing on camera.
“As one of the many women who gets diagnosed with ovarian cancer in A&E, it was a real privilege to work with Target Ovarian Cancer and the film participants to try and raise awareness of the fact that there ARE symptoms to look out for that can save your life,” said Jessi.
During the making of the film, it became clear that we all had experience of a strange simultaneous mix of self-doubt but gut instinct that something was actually wrong. So I think the overwhelming message of this series is to listen to that instinct. Only you truly know your body and your normal.
Using examples from her own experience, Jessi helped Claire, Lindsay, Nicola and Reeta feel comfortable and safe – increasing the level of candour in the room.
Making a video on the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer brought up so many emotions I had buried deep inside me. Allowing them to resurface brought about mixed emotions that made me revisit a very dark period in my life. It wasn’t easy but I feel it was essential to be so raw, as I feel sharing my life experience will help other ladies to develop a true understanding of ovarian cancer and why it is extremely important not to be afraid to speak their truth to get the care they deserve.
Having now seen the videos, they look really good! It was a lovely morning of filming. Nice to listen to the stories of the other participants and find out about our different experiences with diagnosis/recovery.
