Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Cancer Sweater

Are you watching Parenthood on NBC this season?  While this has always been a quality show with excellent writing and acting, Christina Braverman's breast cancer story line makes this the most moving hour on TV each week.

A Giving Spirit Foundation has supported many families that are affected by breast and other types of cancer. We know it's hard, we know it's emotional.  But there's something about the way Parenthood is telling this story that is different than what you might normally see on TV.  They're exploring how it affects the family, they're showing how this diagnosis impacts an independent woman who's been providing for her family and now must rely on their help and the generosity of friends.  And it's showing how lonely the person with the diagnosis feels when every part of the world she knows is now out of her control.

This past week there was a nice moment when Christina's mother-in-law gave her a sweater that had been passed down through friends of hers.  It was meant to be a token of comfort from others that had faced what she is now facing.  I thought it was a nice moment and then I found out that this was actually a real sweater and the story behind it was true, not just an invention in the script writer's mind.

What a wonderful idea and I'm sure that the first person who passed the sweater on didn't do it with the intention that it would end up on national TV. I hope everyone suffering from a debilitating disease, whether it's breast cancer, ALS or something else, has a symbol of love and hope to help comfort them during their illness.

Please watch the story of The Cancer Sweater.