Made of More: Personal Experiences at Mealtime

Throughout treatment, recovery, and beyond, people living with head and neck cancer (HNC) and thyroid cancer (TC) encounter a variety of unique challenges. When undergoing treatment as well as afterwards, their ability to eat may be affected, causing physical and emotional pain and discomfort. The impact of HNC and TC on one’s ability to eat can impact the entire household and can feel exponentially burdensome during the holidays, when food and family meals are a key focus.

To help those living with HNC and TC, and those who are caring for them, we brought together a group of HNC and TC survivors and their caregivers to share their journeys – as well as recipes that helped them navigate challenges during treatment and recovery. Their stories and personal recipes were featured in a five-part episodic mini-series on YouTube.

To reach the HNC and TC communities and drive viewers to the series on YouTube, short teaser videos and social posts were published across social platforms by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA); Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC); the Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation; CancerCare; ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association; and Eisai Inc. leading up to and throughout the holidays.

By sharing stories and recipes, the goal of this series is for those living with HNC and TC to feel they are not alone and have access to resources as they navigate their own treatment and recovery journeys, especially during the holidays.