Oops! I pea’d myself!

*I’m Pea-Punching Cancer in the Face!

Susan Reynolds wasn’t supposed to be a candidate for breast cancer. Then she was diagnosed.

You’ve no doubt seen one or two, or a hundred pea-themed avatars floating around the internet lately. What does it all mean? Well, it’s a real life example of how social media can raise awareness quickly and in great numbers around a cause that’s worth talking about. Susan Reynolds is an artist and new media consultant battling a dominant magpie gene and cancer. She says this about the experience:

When I discovered a very thick area in my breast I called the doctor. The next day I was in her office. A half hour after that I was in the diagnostic radiologist’s.

A full afternoon and multiple stab wounds later we had a variety of samples of malignant tentacles of tissue that were on their way to the lab.

I was in a little pain - it would increase as the local anesthetic wore off - but left his office with a soft cold pack in my bra.

To keep bleeding down & relieve pain I’d need to keep things cool. Traditional ice packs are hard and heavy. As much as I try to be a good sport I’m not into having a brick sitting on my chest.

That’s where the peas come into play.

I tucked the bag of peas in my bra, took a picture, and was ready to tell the story later that night. That bag of peas added a touch of lightness to what could have been a sad and serious tale.

Shortly after, Susan started a blog called, Boobs On Ice to raise awareness about her ordeal and breast cancer in general. As with all good social media, the issue alone is often not enough to create enough conversations to make any kind of difference. Fortunately, Susan already had her conversation peas.

• A bag of peas was something everybody could relate to.
• Some people love them, some hate them, some use them for their own injuries.
• A bag of frozen peas was a vehicle for conversation and let people tease me instead of having to cry.
• It let people share instead of bemoaning.

Boobs On Ice and the Frozen Pea Fund is the perfect example of how we can use social media to raise awareness and make a difference. Take a look at the related blogs and consider making a donation if either of them speak to you. If you’d like to support the cause without making a financial donation, you can simply throw some peas into your Twitter and Facebook avatars and tell everyone what those peas symbolize.

I look forward to seeing social media campaigns like this grow in more popularity. Conversations are the way we can all make a difference no matter how big or small the problem. Social media allows us to spread those conversations far and wide. So, do yourself a favor; Go Pea Yourself!

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