Although I'm used to being behind the camera, I decided to put myself in front of it this time, and show what I went through after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
This movie, which I hope to complete and promote with your support, is about our right and our ability to choose our own state of mind when the worst-case scenario infiltrates our everyday lives. It’s about our ability to actually change our reality through positive thinking and optimism. And finally, it's about our duty to be aware of breast cancer, and our obligation to give ourselves a chance - simply by getting checked once a year.
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My name is Sivan Mor Goldman, and I'm a filmmaker. Two years ago, at the age of 29, I woke up and felt a lump in my breast. I was engaged to my wonderful partner Ronen, and we were in the midst of our wedding preparations. Instead of calling the florist, there I was scheduling a doctor’s appointment with shaking hands. I told myself it couldn't be what I thought it was.
Despite my young age, and despite the fact that I am not a carrier of the gene BRCA, the lump turned out to be a tumor, and the tumor turned out to be cancerous. It seemed like a nightmare.
I want to say that I experienced shock and anxiety when we were given the diagnosis, but there was no time for either. We were thrown headfirst into aggressive cancer treatment, including grueling chemotherapy and a series of 35 radiation treatments.
I was scared. Scared I’d lose the ability to create art. Scared I would lose the ability to draw, or play music, or tell the stories I’ve longed to tell through my filmmaking. I was scared of dying. But somehow, what scared me the most was losing my fertility just as Ronen and I were about to get married and start a family.
The inability to function on the most basic level brought out a side of me I didn’t recognize. I was forced to become dependent on other people. Despite their unwavering love and devotion, it was unbearable to not be able to live for myself or do the things that just days ago had been simple and routine.
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But during this journey I realized that I could not afford to fall into self-pity or dwell on toxic thoughts like blaming myself or others for the disease. Asking "Why do I deserve this?" wasn’t helpful.
I needed to help myself by using my personal therapeutic tool – the video camera.
I needed to create the most humorous and optimistic film I could. In that way the reality around me would become humorous and optimistic as well.
I realized that although I can’t choose my fate, I can choose the way I deal with events that come my way, no matter how difficult they are.
I want to share my story with you.
Discovering the disease in its early stages has saved my life, and helped make this a happy story.
I invite you to join me on this journey -- watch the trailer, share it with friends, and become a backer in order to invest in raising awareness of the importance of early detection. Together, we can get this movie completed and viewed by thousands, and help women all over the world have happy stories as well.
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My story is a universal story about breast cancer
I'm used to being behind the camera. Although it wasn’t
natural for me, I decided to put myself in front of it for this story. This
difficult time was documented by my generous videographer friends -- always
with a smile. With the humor, love and compassion that can only come from the
people we’ve allowed into the most intimate corners of our lives. I wanted to
tell my personal story while also telling a universal story about breast
cancer.
Unfortunately, these days almost everyone knows someone
close to them who has or once had cancer. Statistics say that one out of every
7.5 women in the world will get breast cancer. While most of these women will
be over the age of 40, 6% of them will be younger women who haven’t begun to
get checked regularly and may not benefit from early detection.
Getting tested once a year can save lives, and women of
all ages need to know this.
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October is the global breast cancer awareness month and as
part of it, I'm asking you to support this project. Until now, the creative
team (photographers, editor, sound designer, a producer, etc.) have worked as
volunteers with a strong sense of purpose. We have reached the stage where we
need your support to finish this movie and send it out into the world so its
message can reach as many people as possible.
Thanks for your time! With love and appreciation,
Sivan, Ronen and the whole crew.
*If the goal is reached, 10% of all
the money raised will go to breast cancer research: BCRD - Breast Cancer Research Foundation
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1st of October, 2014