The Power of Sharing Your Story

Building Awareness and Understanding

Personal narratives shed light on the realities of pancreatic cancer, offering insights beyond statistics. By recounting your journey, you help others recognise early symptoms, understand the challenges of diagnosis, and appreciate the importance of timely medical treatment. This heightened awareness can lead to earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes for others.

Providing Support and Encouragement

For individuals navigating the complexities of pancreatic cancer, reading about others’ experiences can be a source of comfort and hope. Your story can resonate with someone facing similar challenges, reminding them they are not alone. It can offer practical advice, emotional solace, and a sense of community that is invaluable during difficult times.

Inspiring Advocacy and Action

Personal testimonials often serve as powerful catalysts for change. They can inspire readers to support pancreatic cancer initiatives, participate in fundraising events, or engage in advocacy efforts aimed at policy change and increased research funding. Your story has the potential to motivate others to join the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Contributing to Research and Education

Each shared experience adds to the collective understanding of pancreatic cancer, informing both the public and medical professionals. These narratives can highlight gaps in current knowledge, underscore the need for patient-centred care, and drive research focused on patient experiences and outcomes.

How Your Story Can Be Shared

When you share your story, you have control over how and where it is shared. The choice is entirely yours:

• National Press – If you’re comfortable with a wider reach, your story could be featured in national newspapers or online publications, helping raise awareness on a large scale. For example, Emma’s story was featured in The Sun, The Daily Mail and The Mirror reaching thousands and encouraging early symptom recognition.
• Local Press – Your story can be shared with local newspapers, radio, or television stations, making an impact within your own community. When Sharon’s experience was shared in her local newspaper, it sparked conversations in her town and led to increased awareness among her neighbours and friends.
• Website and Social Media – If you’d prefer not to be in the press, we can share your story on our website and social media channels instead, where it can still provide inspiration and support to others in the pancreatic cancer community.

The Process – We’re With You Every Step of the Way

We understand that sharing your story can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to make the process as easy as possible. Here’s how it works:

1. Fill in the form – Visit our “Share Your Story” page and provide some details about your experience.
2. Our marketing team will contact you – We’ll arrange a time to chat and capture your story in a way that feels comfortable for you.
3. We’ll write your story – After our discussion, we’ll put together a draft for you to review.
4. You’ll have full approval – You’ll get the chance to make any edits or changes before anything is published.
5. If shared with the media, we’ll support you – If your story is chosen for a media interview, we’ll guide you through the process, offering key talking points and reassurance every step of the way.

Your Story Matters

By opening up about your experience with pancreatic cancer, you can educate, support, and inspire others. Whether it’s through national press, local news, or our digital platforms, your story can make a real difference. If you’re ready to share, visit our “Share Your Story” page or contact us at news@panact.org.

Together, we can raise awareness, provide comfort, and drive meaningful change.