A social media maven, Allie Morse uses the medium to enlighten her peers about the incidence of cancer among young adults. At 28, Allie is approaching five years in remission from stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Her blog, “The Good Hodgkin’s,” which she began after first learning she had lymphoma, not only raises awareness about the 72,000 young adults between the ages of 15 and 39 who receive cancer diagnoses every year, but also explores issues unique to young cancer survivors. In one post entitled, “When do we forget?” she reflected on the slow process of reclaiming a life not dominated by the fear of cancer and its recurrence. In the alumni magazine of Brandeis University, her alma mater and current employer, Allie wrote of her courageous determination to date throughout her cancer treatment and the “lifeboat to normalcy” it provided.
Last year, Allie addressed 700 young people at an American Cancer Society “Relay for Life” event. In her speech, she shared her experience of being misdiagnosed and encouraged her audience to take their health seriously and to trust their knowledge of their bodies.
“Allie is an incredibly bright, brave and outspoken young adult cancer survivor,” says one nominator. “She was diagnosed with cancer a month after her 23rd birthday and had trouble finding a forum in which she could talk about her journey, so she used social media to connect with others. She has become especially vocal about creating solidarity among young adult cancer survivors.”
