Local t-shirt campaign to fight cancer goes global

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It started with a t-shirt with ‘F*** Cancer’ printed on it.  A Vancouver woman’s cheeky statement against a hated disease has become a global campaign.

Yael Cohen had the shirt printed last summer, for her mom who had just undergone surgery for breast cancer.  Her mom wore it everywhere.  “But she couldn’t wear it without getting quite astounding response.  People would, on the street, strangers, would hug her or cry or shake her hand or tell their story.”

Cohen says that while ‘F*** Cancer’ is not meant to replace mainstream cancer research and fundraising, her movement has resonated with people in a way that conventional campaigns are unable to do.  “For as long as cancer has been around, we’ve been looking for a cure.  We’re not saying forget the research, we’re saying let’s fight this disease as effectively as possible until there is a cure.”

Thousands of ‘F*** Cancer’ t-shirts have been sold and celebrities like Sarah McLachlan and Fran Drescher have been seen in them.  Cohen says she is using money from sales to fund programs that help cancer patients. 

Along with the shirts, she has launched a website called LetsFCancer.com, which is receiving thousands of hits a day.  Today, it was recognized as the Website of the Day by the prestigious Favourite Website Awards.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today