In June 2018, our Executive Director, Joyce Reinecke participated in a Webinar for the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy Group. George Dahlman, the CEO of Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy Group described the group as, “…focused on public policy issues. While we primarily deal with Washington, there are a great many issues that can’t be addressed at the federal level. We’d like to encourage grassroots advocates to get involved at the state/local level on those issues that can improve the environment for childhood cancer.” The webinar series is designed for childhood cancer advocates, beginners and experts alike, who want to learn more about effective advocacy practices.
Since Joyce has been a very active personal activist when it comes to childhood cancer and fertility preservation, she and the fellow guests on the webinar (link provided below) provide tools and tactics to speaking to your local representative or senator as well as offer how to be an impactful voice of change for those who want to get involved in patient advocacy. Joyce was joined by Lynn Schaeber who is a Childhood Cancer Advocate and the author of Peyton’s Law and Christopher Winters who is the Founder of National Children’s Cancer Consortium. Each guest brought their own unique insight to their patient advocacy, what issue they fought for and what strategies worked for them.
We asked Mr. Dahlman what made him decide to include fertility preservation as a topic for their series? “I was looking at organizations and people who are active on childhood cancer/AYA issues on the state level – and certainly fertility preservation is one of the most critical.” he answered. “I’d been familiar with Fertile Hope, which was a legacy organization of the current coalition and always thought it important.”
When asked what he hoped the series of webinars in general provides its viewers/listeners, he responded, “My hope for the webinar is that people affected by childhood and young adult cancers will be inspired to get involved in policy issues that affect their health and futures. Whether that is by reaching out and volunteering with the groups on the webinar, or by joining our Kids Action Network (who we’d direct to those groups anyway), it’s important for them to express their experiences and needs to policymakers.”
You can listen to this episode by visiting the following link or by viewing Joyce’s section below (starting at the 31:09 mark): https://www.childrenscause.org/webinars/