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Idea Of The Week? Macmillan Cancer Support's "Isolation Box" Highlights The Loneliness Of Cancer
This week saw a smart idea tell an important story. Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘Isolation Box’ took over London Paddington Station as part of its #NotAlone campaign. The interactive box, which allows people outside to see in but stops the person inside seeing out, aims to raise awareness of the estimated 550,000 people in the UK who suffer with loneliness as a result of their cancer. Two cancer survivors – Caroline Lee and Amrik Nagra - helped launch the Isolation Box, which aims to evoke the same feelings of loneliness and isolation many cancer patients experience after a diagnosis. Research has reveals the devastating impact that loneliness can have on patient's lives, with many forced to skip meals or attend vital appointments alone. At worst this can result in patients refusing treatment altogether. The Isolation Box became a physical storytelling device. In an instant, members of the public were taken from the hustle and bustle of one of the capital’s busiest stations, into an isolated box with just their own reflection and the voices of real people talking about how lonely they felt after being diagnosed with cancer. Like so many people affected by cancer they were left feeling completely alone in a crowd. See some of the images and video from the Isolation Box below. And to help people reach out to someone they know with cancer, Macmillan has launched The Source.
