In October 2019, we were interviewed by Isabel Chatman from CNN about our play, Breast Cancer Diaries and the documentaries we had produced: Messages of Hope and Faces of Breast Cancer. We were thrilled to speak with them and share our upcoming documentary, Breast Cancer on Staten Island and its perimeters and our other projects lined up for 2020. Unfortunately, the interview was never followed through on and CNN never did a story on our play. So imagine my surprise when I received a call from one of the women working with us on our new documentary, Breast Cancer on Staten Island and having her share that CNN had contacted her about a new documentary “they” are doing called …wait for it… Cancer on Staten Island.

Now, the state of concern about the rates of cancer on Staten Island are nothing new, reporters and television stations have been writing about it for years. What I found interesting was when I contacted Isabel about documentary and possibility collaborating, she stated they weren’t doing their documentary on “breast cancer” but looking at cancer as a whole. And that they planned to interview individuals on the island about what it’s like to “live with cancer and the fear of getting it”. “Oh, you mean like we did in our documentary, Messages of Hope and plan to elaborate on it in our upcoming documentary, Breast Cancer on Staten Island?” I asked.

“It’s not the same,” she adamantly declared then asked me if I knew anyone she could interview.

Now you might think that I kept my sources to myself based on the audacity of her statement and CNN’s underhanded actions! But I didn’t. I actually gave her a few contacts that I have also interviewed in the past and will again. Why? Because I don’t see CNN as competition. I see them as helping us get the word out about the toxicity of this island. And best of all, I see them stealing my idea for this documentary as affirmation from the Universe that Cancer Tamer is on the right track. So what if CNN has $$$ millions more than we do, so what if they have the resources to do their documentary before ours (which they plan to); and so what if they’re taking MY concept and running with it…at least, the story will reach millions more than our small non-profit can reach and millions more will be warned. And hopefully, our state officials will stop looking for whom to blame and start mitigating the toxicity on Staten Island.

Although, I will admit, I’m not so altruistic that I will share ideas with them that haven’t been implemented full in the future. After all, why should they get the credit for my ideas. Yes, I know…I know…pride is sinful, but, a girl’s gotta have some vices. smiles.

So we invite you to have an interview with them and check out their documentary; then come back in October and check out ours.  And of course, here’s a shameless plug about our upcoming CELEBRATE LIFE Conference on June 12 & 13, 2020 at the Staten Island Museum. Maybe, they’ll do a story on that?