This afternoon while watching a show online a commercial came on. This commercial was the newest in a long line of commercials the CDC puts out about the dangers of smoking. At first I didn't pay close attention, but then something caught my attention. The woman in the commercial began talking about stomach problems caused by her smoking. It was then found that she had a tumor and needed some of her colon removed, resulting in her need for a colostomy. She speaks of how having a colostomy means loss of control, smelling bad, and the need to hide away at home giving up a normal life.
Now, I understand where she is coming from saying these things, I really do. As the daughter of an amazing woman with two stomas, and the mother of a Hirschsprung's baby who needed a colostomy for four months I have witnessed the toll it can take on everyday living. However, is this really the message I want shown to my son who may, one day, decide to return to having an ostomy because of the digestive problems that come with his disease? I have such mixed feelings on this commercial, and here is why.
1. The message it sends to those with an ostomy. When my son grows older he may decide to return to having an ostomy. He has Long Segment Hirschsprung's Disease and has battled many digestive problems and infections that it comes with. IF he does choose to live with an ostomy I don't want him to feel as though he is being punished for being different. I also don't want him feeling as if he should be hidden away from society. My mom struggles a lot with her self confidence as a direct result of having her ostomies. She doesn't like to go outside, and when she does she worries constantly about the appearance and smell of them. She lived a very healthy and active life before getting sick, never once smoking a cigarette. One thing that has helped her is the normalizing of these conditions in media and society. The message that helps her, and the one that I would want my son growing up hearing, is not one of shame. It's one of empowerment and normality when it comes to having an ostomy! The stories I love seeing are ones of athletes competing with an ostomy, and ones of people having succeeded in creating a normal life for themselves. While I understand the downsides to having a colostomy bag, do we really need to send the message to children who will have them their entire lives that it means they are smelly and not socially acceptable?
2. It gives a wrong view of what living with an ostomy looks like. I disagree with the view it gives into living with an ostomy. For this part of my post I would just like to share some pictures of what my family's experience with having them be a part of our lives has looked like.
The goal is not to focus on the negative when it comes to these conditions, the goal is to tell the world that nothing will hold them back! The goal isn't to make them seem disgusting, it's to show that these are normal people and their disease (ostomy included) is only a small part of who they are. Having a stoma is not only a life saving measure to some people, but a way to make their lives more normal! Sometimes a disease is so bad that having a colostomy can allow them to live their lives in a normal and relatively pain free way.
3. It's a set back in the education regarding stomas. The things I have posted about above are not represented in the commercial. What the commercial shows is not what many of those dealing with an ostomy, or their family members, want you to know. The kids going to school with these, especially, just want you to know that they are just like everybody else. They are strong and playful, and it is harmful to them when the message their classmates have been given catagorizes them as different and smelly. The ostomy community has worked hard recently with such campaigns as 'Shit Happens' to bring attention to the amazing aspects of those living with an ostomy. It's a really sad fact that some people will be basing their opinions of ostomy-life on this commercial.
To sign a petition to remove this commercial please click here: https://www.change.org/p/centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-remove-tobacco-colon-cancer-advertisement?recruiter=5323677&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-custom_msg
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