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Young Choices, Inc.

Young Choices, Inc.

Category Archives: Press

Throat cancer survivor scares smoke out of youth

04 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by Bald Brian in Press

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cdc, electro-larynx, presentation, respect, smoking, surgery, throat cancer, tobacco, tobacco-free

Don Young, 66, is a man on a mission to direct teens and young adults to refrain from smoking. His methods are scary, but they work.

“I’m compelled to tell my story and make young people afraid to smoke,” said Young, who lives in St. Charles.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking is the single leading preventable cause of death in the nation, and each day, about 4,000 American youth aged 12-17 smoke their first cigarette.

Determined to change those statistics, Young presents thought-provoking programs at area schools, colleges, churches, youth organizations, public forums, medical schools and corporations, sharing his cancer experience with more than 40,000 people per year.

Young started smoking at age 14 and in 1992, at the age of 48, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, caused by 34 years of a two-pack-a-day smoking habit.

A series of operations and treatments saved Young’s life but left him unable to speak. He is unable to breathe or talk normally through his nose or mouth; a hole in his throat that opens directly to his lungs (a tracheotomy) allows him to breathe. To speak, he must use an electronic voice box, which produces a robot-like speech pattern. To eat and drink, Young inserts a two-foot tube down his throat every morning to dilate the opening.

It is said a picture is worth a 1,000 words, and Young’s photo presentations say it all, vividly illustrating his story in graphic detail, as Young documented the course of his illness by photographing his surgeries and treatments.

His programs are intended to shock, and they do.

Kathleen Graham, who teaches at St. Charles High School, connected with Young through her classes on peer facilitating in which students are trained to help their classmates solve teen problems.

“It’s hard not to gush when talking about Don Young,” Graham said. “He is a wonderful human being who genuinely cares about people, both young and old. Don hopes his story will warn others not to make his mistakes. He has been through so much, and it’s a miracle that he’s still alive. Students seem to truly respect his honesty, and he always commands their respect when he addresses them.”

Over the years, Graham said, she has seen many students attribute their decision to remain tobacco-free due to Young’s presentations.

Cancer-free since 1993, Young has garnered numerous honors and awards, including the 1997 St. Louis American Cancer Society “Volunteer of the Year.” He volunteers for many organizations, including the American Lung Association, the Tobacco-Free Missouri – St. Louis Coalition, the National Council of Alcohol & Drug Abuse and others that fight tobacco and drug use.

Amazingly, Young has participated in the Senior Olympics in track and field, javelin, jumping, shot put, and more. He carried the Senior Olympic Torch in St. Louis in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In 2000, he was named Coping magazine’s “Cancer Survivor of the Year.”

He continues to work with young people in sports, at church, at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and performing as a Shriners clown.

Through it all, Young aims to make a difference.

“I know not everyone will stop smoking, but some will, and that’s worth it,” he said.


By Sheila Frayne Rhoades

Article originally appeared on page 34 of the December 8, 2010 issue of Mid Rivers Newsmagazine. (Original Article)

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Finding His Voice – Don Young speaks out about the dangers of smoking

28 Thursday Oct 2010

Posted by Bald Brian in Press

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celebrate your neighbor, suburban journals

All the doctors agreed — Don Young didn’t have long, maybe six months.

He’d been diagnosed with throat cancer, had his larynx removed in surgery and undergone several other procedures.

“They told me I wasn’t going to live,” he says.

That was in the early 1990s.

“I’ve been given a second chance, I think,” Young says.

And with that second chance, Young now speaks to groups of young people around the area about the dangers of smoking through a nonprofit he started, Young Choices — youngchoices.org.

In his presentations, he shows photos of himself in the hospital, often gory images that make kids physically sick. He isn’t trying to shock them, though.

“It’s just the reality.”

Peg Lee, who nominated Young in the Celebrate Your Neighbor contest, has known him and his wife, Kay, about 28 years.

“He has fought every inch of the way,” she says, “and he’s been an inspiration to so many people.”

Young, now 66, lives with his wife in St. Charles and together, Lee says, the two have dedicated their lives to anti-smoking issues, from advocating to visiting people suffering from cancer in the hospital.

In 2004, when her own husband had cancer, Young was there for them, Lee says.

“I saw then, I think, firsthand what a wonderful support he is for people dealing with those kinds of things.”

Young volunteers with the American Cancer Society, among other area organizations. He’s carried the Olympic torch in St. Louis three times and annually shares his story with about 40,000 people.

And he can tell that it’s made a difference. While Young credits what he’s been able to do to God, when he’s out, he often meets adults who remember hearing him speak as a child. They don’t smoke, they tell him.

And they credit him.


By Kristen Hare, Suburban Journals Correspondent

http://www.stltoday.com/online/feeds/suburbanjournals/news/stcharles/image_b226655c-e2dd-11df-a6a2-00127992bc8b.html

Coffee Talk Interview

10 Friday Apr 2009

Posted by Bald Brian in Press

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don young, interview

[wpaudio url=”/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/20090410_KNCK-Coffee-Talk-Interview.mp3″ text=”Listen to Don’s Interview”]

On April 10, 2009 Don Young had an interview with Coffee Talk on KNCKRadio.com.

Bayless Junior High Students Honored For Anti-Smoking Message

17 Tuesday Feb 2009

Posted by Bald Brian in Press

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anti-smoking, artwork, chris chamberlain, contest, d'marco farr, essays, great american smokeout, smoke-free, st. louis rams

With a message of “Smoking Kills,” students at Bayless Junior High in south St. Louis were recognized by the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine for their creative anti-smoking messages.

Students at the school were asked to design artwork and write an essay encouraging young people to be smoke-free as part of an annual art and essay contest for November’s “Great American Smokeout.” Seventh grader Cathy Vo and eighth grader Sabina Dizdar were first place winners of the Siteman-sponsored art contest “Keep Kids Tobacco Free.” The winning artwork was printed on t-shirts given to the school’s student body.

Eighth grader Donna Dinh was recognized at an assembly for her essay on “Why You Shouldn’t Smoke.” The essay was about her father who smokes and her plea for him to quit. “Hopefully this essay would help you to stay away from smoking or put an end to it,” she wrote.

St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Chamberlain attended the assembly and signed autographs. He spoke about a former teammate at the University of Tulsa, who was among the most talented players he’d seen, but did not make the NFL due to his smoking habit. “It shows how destructive smoking can be,” said Chamberlain.

Sporting the winning t-shirt design, “Bayless Bronchos Don’t Need to 2 Smoke: We’re Already on Fire!” select students from Bayless Junior High attended the “Siteman Smokeout for Life” on Thursday, November 20 at Siteman Cancer Center.

Students received lunch and a tour of Siteman. The day included a health fair and an anti-tobacco presentation from Don Young of Young Choices, Inc., a local non-profit organization that advocates about the dangers of smoking. D’Marco Farr, former St. Louis Rams defensive tackle, met with students. Mr. Farr signed autographs and encouraged students to stay smoke-free.

“It’s exciting to know area children are knowledgeable about the dangers of cigarette smoking and interested in helping others ‘kick the habit,’” says Timothy Eberlein, MD, Siteman Cancer Center director.


* Source: STL Connection newsletter, Volume IV Issue I 2009, Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities.

Cancer Survivor Shares Story

21 Wednesday Nov 2007

Posted by Bald Brian in Press, Videos

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american cancer society, cancer, don young, esophagus, great american smokeout, hayden high school, kansas, neck, presentation, second chance, students, surgery

Written by Meagan Farley

“It was really gross and the pictures were just really gross,” said Hayden High School Junior Lauren Frost. She sat among her classmates Monday as Don Young shared his story.

“I didn’t have that type of education in school. They need to be told the effects of what tobacco does and that not everyone is going to get cancer but some people will,” said Young, who started smoking at fourteen years old.

Tobacco has taken its toll. Doctors removed his cancer riddled voice box, leaving him speechless. Then he underwent a 19 hour surgery to remove part of his neck and entire esophagus.

“When my throat blew out they said they lost me on the table so I’ve been given a second chance.”

Young used that second chance Monday to educate Hayden High School students.

The American Cancer Society estimates nine out of ten current smokers started using tobacco when they were teens.

Currently in Kansas, 21 percent of teens report smoking cigarettes.

“I don’t want to do that now especially seeing all that stuff on the projector,” said Junior Rick Rineburg.

“I think a lot of people are going to be talking about how gross this was when we go back to class,” said Frost.

“I know I’m not going to stop everyone from smoking or drinking or doing any other drugs but I think some of them will take this to heart and not do it because they see me and the reality of it and I believe that or I wouldn’t be doing this,” said Young.


* Copyright 2007 NBC (original content from http://www.ksnt.com/home/ticker/11220901.html)

Man on a Mission

22 Saturday Sep 2007

Posted by Bald Brian in Press

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american cancer society, cancer, church, don young, electro-larynx, esophagus, kay young, laryngectomy, larynx, radiation, recovery, senior olympics, shriner, skin graft, smoking, surgery, throat cancer, tracheostomy

Written by Lynn Kalesh and Irma Gibbons

In 1992, Don Young’s voice began to get hoarse and he thought it was just a cold. He was diagnosed with throat cancer and a malignant node was removed. Two months later his larynx (voice box) was also removed and he received six weeks of radiation treatment, but his cancer recurred. At this point, he underwent a total laryngectomy and was given less than a year to live.

During a 19-hour surgery in 1993, the front and right side, along with part of the left side of his neck was removed. A portion of his small intestine was removed and transplanted in his neck to make a new esophagus. His chest was cut in order to use the chest muscle to wrap around the front of his neck and skin was grafted from the top of his leg to cover this. The transplant was rejected.

Don went back to surgery and a tube was placed in his neck so he could swallow saliva. Another tube was inserted in his stomach for eleven months to allow him to receive food and medicine. When he regained his strength, he underwent a procedure whereby his stomach was pulled up and attached to the back of his throat to make a new esophagus. The passage will not stay open by itself, so every morning he has to dilate the opening by inserting a two-foot flexible tube down his throat for five minutes. This enables him to eat and drink all day. Also, he cannot bend or lie flat to sleep, and can no longer talk and now uses an electro-larynx (hand-held electronic voice box). He is not able to breathe through his nose or mouth; he has a tracheostomy – a hole in his throat that opens directly to his lungs. Because of the very real danger of drowning if water gets into the trach, Don cannot go swimming and must take care while showering. In spite of all this, he has made a miraculous recovery and has been cancer free since 1993.

Don Young could have just given up, but he didn’t. He is the perfect example of making up your mind to survive cancer, then doing it. But the story would not end here. When he began to regain his strength, he desperately wanted to stop others from making the same mistake; he knew his throat cancer was caused by 34 years of a two-pack-a-day smoking habit, which he started at the age of fourteen. Becoming a driving force in the American Cancer Society’s Tobacco School Health program, he has committed himself to educating young people about the dangers of tobacco and speaks to the public at schools and churches. He is relentless in his mission and, along with his wife Kay, volunteers his services to numerous cancer-related services throughout Missouri.

Young coached softball and soccer for 28 years and continues to coordinate the St. Charles County church softball leagues. He is also involved in the church youth group. In addition, Don is a Shriner’s clown. For the past two years he has participated in the Illinois and Missouri state Senior Olympics games, winning 28 medals.

Don Young doesn’t consider himself an exceptional person – just one who has come to understand that his life and the lives of others are worth fighting for.


* Reprinted by permission of Coping Magazine.

Fighting Tobacco on All Fronts

12 Friday Jan 2007

Posted by Bald Brian in Press

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cancer, don young, don's story

In 1992 at the age of 48, Don Young became cancer statistic. He was diagnosed with throat cancer. A series of treatments and surgeries followed. Don had a malignant node removed, half of his larynx removed, radiation treatments, and a total laryngectomy only to be told he had six months to live. He began another series of surgeries that removed the front, right side, and part of the left side of his neck. A portion of Don’s small intestine was transplanted to form his esophagus. Muscle from his chest and skin from his leg completed the procedure. The small intestine transplant was rejected and a tube was then inserted in its place. Another tube was placed in his stomach to provide an opening to insert nourishment and medication for the thirteen months he couldn’t eat.

“I was placed in rehabilitation for three months to regain my strength for the next surgery. This surgery involved pulling my stomach up to attach to the back of my throat to form a new esophagus,” recalls Don. “My desire to be a cancer survivor shows my stamina and determination to be a living statistic.”

Since the age of 14, Don developed a two pack-a-day smoking habit that continued for the next 34 years. “It rendered me a life that requires inserting a two-foot tube down my throat every morning to dilate the opening so I am able to eat and drink throughout the day. I cannot bend or lie flat to sleep because the sphincter muscle has been removed leaving a direct opening to the stomach. I cannot breathe or talk through my nose or mouth. A tracheostomy, hole in my neck, allows me to breathe and a mechanical device allows me to communicate. I will take medication for the rest of my life,” Don said. Despite these hardships, he has been cancer-free for 14 years, and is thankful for each day as a cancer survivor.

As a result of his own battle with cancer, he is committed to the fight against smoking. “When I started smoking as a teenager, this was not the picture of the life I thought I would be living someday. I have overcome many physical obstacles and have chosen to take the knowledge I have learned from my experiences to educate young people to make the right choice,” said Don.

Don’s fight against smoking has taken him into schools, colleges, churches, youth organizations, public forums, medical schools, and corporations to speak with people about his experience. His presentation includes facts and statistics that challenge young people to think about their choices. “I share with them that in my group of five high school friends, three had cancer, and I am the only survivor.”

Don’s time and energy is devoted to speaking to young people. However he is also active in the lives of cancer patients, bringing them hope for recovery, the compassion to help them endure treatment, and the encouragement to live life to the fullest. Don is thankful for the American Cancer Society, “The Society continues to guide and support me and my wife, Kay, when we’ve needed them the most.” Don volunteers with the Society, and other community and health organizations. Since his cancer diagnosis, Don feels he’s taken on new purpose. “I am able to make a difference in the lives of young people and their families. As a cancer survivor, I feel compelled to take my story to the youth of our nation.”

“You just never know when smoking is going to come back to haunt you,” said Don. Currently as a result of smoking, Don has been diagnosed with coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease, in which he has had his aortic valve replaced, had two stints placed in his heart, as well as one stint placed in each leg. Nevertheless, he continues to be a tireless advocate for tobacco cessation efforts, speaking across the country. To contact Don about his advocacy efforts, visit http://www.youngchoices.org.


* Originally published in the Great American Smokeout newsletter

Amendment 3 Commercial

31 Tuesday Oct 2006

Posted by Bald Brian in Press, Videos

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missouri, politics, saint charles county

Don Young publicly displayed his support for Amendment 3 in Saint Charles County, Missouri in October of 2006.

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