When you think about one of your most valuable assets, what is it? I mean you personally, not you the employee.  Is it your health?  Imagine if your good health was taken from you.  Picture how your life would change if you were dependent on wheel chairs or intra-venous medicines or other medical technology to live your life. Imagine the slow-down and how your priorities would have to change. What if this happened and then you were given the opportunity to buy back your good health?  How much would you pay?  Is there any price too high?

There is an age group out there that doesn’t know how to value its health.  As a result, not only is cancer the leading cause of disease related death among them, but survival rates have also not improved since 1975! With all of the medical advancements that have happened, this seems impossible but it’s true. It is referred to as the “shocking gap” in cancer survival improvement rates.

“…something as simple as awareness followed by action can change and improve lives…”

How has it happened? This age group does not go for regular physicals and they typically ignore subtle changes in their normal health because they feel invincible.  They don’t think about their health and assume any negative changes will go away eventually (and they don’t know that subtle changes in your normal health can be signs of cancer). This delay gives cancer time to progress. The age group is teens and young adults; those aged 15 to 40. For the most part, they are unaware.

To help change this ugly statistic, on July 11th & 12th a number of employees volunteered their time and donated their talents and treasure to support the 15-40 Connection and Dana Farber through the Mark Ungerer Golf Tournament.  The 15-40 Connection is informing teens and young adults that cancer is the number 1 disease related cause of death for 15 to 40-year-olds and promoting early detection through advocacy and awareness. Jim Coghlin Sr. founded this nonprofit after learning about the “shocking gap.” He’s not between the ages of 15 to 40 but he knows that something as simple as awareness followed by action can change and improve lives so he is doing just that. It can do the same for older and younger people too…there’s an invincible bunch in every age group…!

My message to you today may not directly relate to engineering or manufacturing but it makes good business sense. A sick employee cannot have the same positive impact as a healthy one. Appreciate your health; take care of it and Check Yourself.  If you can’t remember the last time you had a physical, it’s time to schedule one. Benchmark your health so you and your health care provider can recognize changes.  The life you change and improve could be your own.

About the Blogger:

Tricia Laursen is the Director of External Relations at the 15-40 Connection, a health and cancer awareness non-profit that Coghlin Companies supports.