I will be interviewing Tina Yerdon, a close friend and a cancer survivor, for my next project. Tina had parosteal osteosarcoma. I didn’t ever know what this meant until I had a few heart to heart conversations with Tina and did my research. It is a type of bone tumor cancer which arises from the outer layer of the periosteum. Tina was an extremely active person before she was diagnosed and cured of this cancer. She was an athlete – a marathon runner, a volleyball player, and a soccer player. Now the only place where Tina can be active is her brain. She is using all the skills she has learned throughout her 21 years in her head. It is a mental battle before a physical one. Tina’s lower leg is replaced by a metal rod and she is still healing from her two surgeries. Through this interview, I hope to inform my audience about this type of cancer and how she’s fighting to remain hopeful through this journey, hopeful to just walk and be able to do basic things like drive. Tina tears up as she says, “I never knew words would have this impact on me but now I can say I have cancer to I had cancer. That’s huge.”
Concern/struggle : How to show her in totality without stirring pity from the audience.