Sponsored by
YOUNG SURVIVOR GURU MATTHEW ZACHARY
LENDS REAL LIFE CANCER EXPERIENCE TO
LIFETIME TELEVISION SERIES “SIDE ORDER OF LIFE”
Zachary To Appear In Exclusive Cameo In Fall Season Episode
BROOKLYN, NY – September 14, 2007 – Art imitates life as Matthew Zachary, founder and Executive Director of The I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation (i[2]y), lends his experience as a survivor to an upcoming episode of the Lifetime Television comedic drama, “Side Order of Life.” In a scene penned by Zachary and Margaret Nagle, the creator of the show, one of the show’s lead characters Vivy (Diana Maria Riva), a thirtysomething with cancer, goes to a hip social networking support group at a local bar. The episode titled “Aliens” premieres Sunday, September 30 at 9:00 pm (ET/PT).
Zachary, an 11-year survivor of pediatric brain cancer, wrote the scene with Margaret Nagle based on the success of i[2]y’s own "Stupid Cancer Happy Hour" community programs. He cameos as himself in the scene and is helping to maintain authenticity for the real world issues that Vivy faces as a feisty, modern-day young adult survivor. "The scene pretty much exactly mirrors what we've been doing in cities around the country for several months," said Zachary.
"The Stupid Cancer Happy Hours are a way for young adults affected by cancer to socially network and get peer support in a familiar, non-clinical environment," said Dr. Leonard Sender, Medical Director of the Cancer Institute at Children's Hospital of Orange County and Chairman of i[2]y. “We are a very different kind of cancer advocacy group comprised mainly of vibrant GenX/Y hipsters irreverent to their cancer experience. This is what Matthew wanted to capture most in the 'Side Order of Life' scene."
"Matthew was an absolute pleasure to work with," said Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Margaret Nagle, who created the show and also serves as an executive producer and writer. "He contacted us after the first episode aired and Diana and I were interviewed on The Stupid Cancer Show. We were blown away by what Matthew has created here and it so lined up with the way we are trying to portray cancer on the show. There was real synergy.”
About i[2]y
Ranked as one of TIME Magazine’s 50 Best Websites 2007, i[2]y is a global support community for young adults affected by cancer who get busy living and rock on. i[2]y’s mission is to end isolation and improve the quality of life of young adult cancer survivors by providing one-stop access to hard-to-find resources, peer support and social networks. i[2]y uses music and the arts to make it hip to be a survivor and talk openly about “stupid cancer." We advocate on behalf of the 1 million+ young adult survivors (ages 15-39) and their caregivers who are living with and beyond cancer worldwide. For more information, please visit ImTooYoungForThis.org.
About Lifetime Television
Lifetime is the leader in women’s television and one of the top-rated basic cable TV networks. A diverse, multimedia company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.