Young Adults — Rich Murray Creative

The Canadian Cancer Society -Young Adults

When you’re in your twenties, you’re supposed to be building your life — not fighting for it. But that’s the reality for thousands of young adults in Canada facing cancer. Most survive, but they fall into a support gap — no longer children, not yet older adults — with few systems designed for their unique needs.

The Canadian Cancer Society wanted to change that. For their annual gala, they needed a film that didn’t just explain the problem — it needed to feel it. That’s where Tina’s story came in.

Diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma at just 24, Tina walked through treatment, isolation, post-cancer depression, and rebuilding her life with very little guidance or tailored care. Until the support of CCS. Her story is deeply personal, but universal in the way it touches on identity, fragility, and the long road to self-love.

We recorded Tina’s interview off-camera and built the film from voice, visuals, and emotion over three days — no talking heads, just real imagery and texture from her life. She let us in fully, and it shows. What resulted was something powerful, poignant, and true.

The film helped raise over $1 million at the 2022 CCS Gala. It was later selected for the World Cancer Congress Cinema Program in Geneva. But more than that, it gave Tina a way to close a long, unfinished chapter — and offered audiences a glimpse into the unspoken reality of young adult cancer.

“When we shared the video for the first time to 200+ people in a crowded room, you could hear a pin drop. The portrayal of Tina’s unique story paused the hustle and bustle, moved many to tears, and inspired the room to action. The story we aimed to tell was challenging – full of emotion and nuance – and we felt safely supported by them and their crew the entire time. The end product not only captivated attention and accurately portrayed the complexities of having cancer as a young person but also inspired audiences to take action and support the important work being undertaken by the Canadian Cancer Society.” - Sheila Dong, Vice President, Communications at Canadian Cancer Society

Creative Lead – Rich Murray
Director – Amar Chebib
Cinematography – Jeremy Cox
Production – Rich&Jay

"It is understood in older cultures that after every initiatory experience, people need a place to talk about what they’ve lived through, what they’ve endured, and what they’ve learned. Being witnessed by others is a crucial last step, as a way for us to integrate the experience and to bring back medicine to the community. One’s journey, and often healing, is not complete until this happens. With the film release, I was able to end a chapter of my life that felt unfinished for ten long years, and hence, finally, begin a new one. The film granted me an opportunity to tell my story to others, and to hear how it has impacted them, what it inspired and how it moved them. In other words, what medicine it brought to them. It’s given the pain I’ve lived through a new depth of meaning, and I’m deeply grateful for it." — Tina Schomburg

Raised by Chinatown

The Forum 200