The Manifesto of the Lance Armstrong Foundation

We believe in life.
Your life.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in your right to live without pain and, if it comes to it,
your right to die with dignity.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Because we're passionate about helping you live every minute of your
life with every ounce of your being.

We know you don't need pity.
You need information. Fast.
We kick in the moment you get the news that changes your life.
With the hard, the practical, the pragmatic.
Information is power.
Knowledge is strength.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
We're about the hard stuff.
Like knowing the first doctor you talk to is not God.
Like finding the nerve and getting the number to get a second
opinion.
And a third or even a fourth, if that's what it takes.
It's about finding out about clinical trials.
It's your life.
You will have it your way.

We're about practical stuff.
Like planning for surviving.
Banking a man's sperm. Preserving a women's fertility.
Fighting depression. Accepting tears and acknowledging rage.
It's talking openly about the big "C". With husbands, wives, and
partners; kids, friends, and neighbors; the people you live with,
work with, cry and laugh with.
It's organizing your finances.
It's dealing with hospitals, specialists and insurance companies.
It's knowing your rights when you talk to your employer.
It's your life.
Take no prisoners.

We're also about the practical issues of life after treatment.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
We're your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate in the back halls
of the healthcare system and your sponsor in the research labs.
When you're cancer-free, the fight has only just begun.

This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest survivors on the planet.

Live Strong.