Advocacy isn’t just for policymakers or professional activists—it starts with real people sharing real experiences. As an adolescent or young adult (AYA) with cancer, your voice is powerful and unique. Whether you’re advocating for yourself in the doctor’s office or pushing for change in healthcare policies, here are a few ways to get started in grassroots advocacy and make an impact.

Share Your Story—Your Experience Is Powerful

• The most effective advocacy starts with storytelling. Lawmakers, media, and organizations need to hear firsthand how cancer impacts AYAs.
• Write about your experience in blog posts, op-eds, or social media. Tag organizations working on AYA cancer issues and use relevant hashtags.
• Speak at events, webinars, or community forums like support groups,  to raise awareness about the distinct challenges AYAs with cancer face.

Contact Your Elected Officials—They Work for You

• Call, email, or meet with your representatives to talk about policies affecting AYAs with cancer. Your voice and lived experience matter, and lawmakers need to hear from constituents.
• Learn who represents you at congress.gov and follow their work on healthcare issues.
• Attend a local town hall meeting or community forum and ask your representatives where they stand on cancer-related policies.

Use Social Media to Make an Impact

• Follow advocacy groups and amplify their campaigns by creating and sharing posts, petitions and other call-to-actions, or using advocacy hashtags.
• Create short videos or Instagram reels sharing your story and tagging elected officials—public pressure can push them to take action.
• Take part in national advocacy days where organizations encourage coordinated social media action to raise awareness.

Support and Mobilize Others

• Encourage other AYAs with cancer to get involved by sharing your story, advocacy resources and action alerts.
• Host a meetup or virtual event to discuss issues affecting AYAs with cancer and how to take action together.
• Connect with others in your community and volunteer to help organize grassroots efforts like phone banks, letter-writing campaigns, and meetings with policymakers at the federal, state, and local level. 

Change Takes Time—But It Happens

• Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint. Laws don’t always pass overnight—some take years, even decades—but they pass because of perseverance, dedication, and a consistent voice. Every email, every meeting, every story shared moves the needle. Progress may feel slow, but history shows that persistence wins. So stay the course, keep raising your voice, and remember: Real change is built over time.

Whether you’re just starting to navigate life with cancer or years out from treatment, your voice matters. Advocacy doesn’t have to mean speaking in front of Congress. It starts with small steps—asking the right questions, standing up for your needs, and supporting others in the community.

Cancer may have thrown our lives off track, but it doesn’t define us. What we do next—how we use our voices, support each other, and push for change—that’s what matters.

I can’t wait to connect with all of you and keep pushing for a future where adolescents and young adults with cancer aren’t left behind. Let’s make AYA cancer suck less—and make the system work better for all of us.