Blog Post

On Tuesday night, a small group of 35 or more Facing Cancer Together program participants, Angel staff and supporters gathered at W2 Films for the premier showing of locally-made film, “Cancer Has Made Me”. Created and produced by a team of Twin Cities-based film makers, this incredible documentary chronicled the lives of five exceptional teens, all of whom have experienced a cancer diagnosis in their immediate family (meaning mom, dad or in one case, grandma). The 15 minute long film had the audience laughing out loud and holding back tears. To say it was moving would be an understatement…

But what was the best part about this project? It’s that the teens themselves created the film. They were the heart and soul behind the operation. They brought cameras into their homes and, together with their families, dared to share the honest side of cancer. They were both behind and in front of the camera. They were planted in front of computers during the editing process, cutting and pasting, blending and molding footage for hours on end. And with the help, support and guidance of W2 Films staff, they created something truly beautiful.

Angel Foundation’s Facing Cancer Together Teen Outreach program is led by staff member Jessica Lindsay, and two exceptional volunteers, Jeremy Carr and Alicia Arnott. Throughout the course of the year, a small yet mighty group of teens gather to participate in expressive arts projects (such as the film), team building experiences and just plain old good times. It’s a chance for them to bond with teens “just like them”, teens who know just as much about chemotherapy as they do geometry. They can be themselves, they can process their feelings and they can feel normal with each other and find comfort in that normalcy.

Angel Foundation is so proud of the teens who participated in this project and would like to give a shout out to Rich and his team at W2 Films for making this experience possible. Stay tuned for another showing – this film will not be cataloged in storage, but rather out in the world for all to experience!

We’d love to connect with you about our Teen Outreach Program. Feel free to contact Jessica Lindsay for more information: email.