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Produced by Bay Area Young Survivors
I am a kindergarten teacher. I’m also a warrior. And I am a survivor.
The Story
A radiation therapy mask comes to sympolize a warrior’s mask during one woman’s battle with cancer.
The Back Story
Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS) is a support and action group for women age 45 and under who are living with breast cancer. BAYS is a diverse group united by their passion to survive this disease and to end the epidemic, especially as it affects young women.
The group is open to all survivors -- from the newly diagnosed to those battling recurrent or metastatic disease to long time survivors. Since the organizations’ founding in 2004, BAYS has grown to include a diverse mix of more than 100 members.
Lacking a permanent physical space, the Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS) conducted on-site workshops in the often challenging, yet intimate setting of one member’s home. Despite various challenges for members (a death in one participant’s immediate family, surgery for another member, the birth of twins for another, and ongoing chemotherapy and health issues for multiple participants), BAYS completed their stories.
Outcomes
The therapeutic aspects of storytelling in a group setting were familiar to the women of BAYS and the training directly complemented their work. BAYS filmmakers screened their work for family and friends. Members have been in conversation with a women’s health clinic about partnering on an ongoing digital storytelling project.
In addition to video, BAYS plans to utilize multiple forms of digital stories in their future work, including blogs, health diaries and audio stories.
