Find a Support Advocate

I started researching cancer support before my mom was diagnosed with cancer. For someone who had been with me through my hardship, it’s hard to know how to be there for others. I’m actually timid. I know a lot of information but feel powerless. It’s hard to connect with others. Communication does not come easy. I wish I was a reporter and could find my voice. Find a support advocate, they are out there. Practice patience. Be supportive. Speak to someone who understands. Advocates can help determine what a patient need to know/do but also the kind of research that needs to be done. This includes allocating research funding, participating on teams, planning and implementing clinical trials, translating and disseminating research, researching public policy oversight, and supporting public awareness and health policy by adding a human face to the urgency of the cause (Perlmutter et al. 2013)