Still Here Shadow Theatre

Raising awareness of lung cancer is not easy. Lung cancer is not something people like to talk, or even think about. We therefore are always looking for different ways to present lung cancer.

As part of this year’s Still Here campaign for lung cancer awareness month, we have partnered with shadow theatre company and winners of Britain’s Got Talent, Attraction, to create a bespoke performance demonstrating the importance of recognising lung cancer symptoms and acting on them.

It is our hope that by showcasing lung cancer in this unique way, more people will watch the beautiful and emotional performance and take on board its vital message.

The video tells the story of a father who has just discovered he is going to be a grandad after his daughter reveals a baby bootie. It is at this point where he experiences his first symptom – a cough. However, the cough passes and he quickly dismisses it amongst all the excitement.

As the months pass by, the man is getting more and more excited about the new arrival. The next scene sees him building the crib when he suddenly finds himself short of breath. His daughter opens a window. The man takes a seat and gets his breath back. Once again, when the episode as subsided, he forgets about it.

He then goes out for dinner with his daughter. Whilst they are in the restaurant, his cough returns and a Covid test is administered. The results are negative and concern again passes.

It is when the daughter nears her due date, demonstrated with her growing belly, that she receives a devastating phone call. Her father is in hospital . She rushes to his side but the diagnosis is terminal and he passes away a year or so later.

Rewind

It is at this point where the story stops and rewinds to that first moment her father experienced symptoms. Recognising that you should never ignore a persistent cough, the daughter takes her father to the doctors and the start of his diagnosis. The relevant tests reveal a mass in his lung but it is contained, operable and curable.

The story ends with the father, now a grandad, playing with his granddaughter and therefore demonstrating the importance of early detection.

When lung cancer is caught early, it can be curable. It is vital that everyone is able to recognise the symptoms of lung cancer and act on them quickly.