The Truth 365

A Voice for Childhood cancer fighter, survivors, angels and their families

The Truth 365 is the Emmy Award-winning documentary and social media campaign that gives a voice to children fighting cancer and their families. It was launched in 2012 by the Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation in collaboration with several childhood cancer foundations, families, and advocates.

The Truth 365’s primary goals are to:

Advocate for childhood cancer fighters, survivors, angels, siblings, and parents.
Increase awareness of childhood cancer
Unify the childhood cancer community
Enlist the help of the general public and our elected representatives
Fund less toxic and more effective cancer treatments
Make childhood cancer a national priority
Advocate for more federal, state, and private funding for research

Talia Castellano, the first child interviewed for The Truth 365

The Truth 365 began when Dena Sherwood, mom to childhood cancer survivor Billy, teamed up with filmmaker and advocate Mike Gillette to produce a childhood cancer documentary. To maximize the impact of the film, they created a corresponding social media campaign.

The Truth 365 full-length documentary was very well received by the childhood cancer community, the general public, and the television industry. The film was awarded several Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) National Capital Chapter. The social media campaign also was successful and quickly built a large multi-platform audience.

The Truth 365 co-founder Dena Sherwood with her family at Roll for the Gold

Here are some highlights from the past nine years:

Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act

The Truth 365’s video featuring 10-year-old Gabriella Miller was the spark that helped get the legislation that bears her name signed into law. The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act authorizes $126 million over 10 years for pediatric research.
Two weeks before she passed away, Gabriella said, “Talk is bulls**t, we need action” and “Stop talking and start doing.” This video caught the attention of the then House Majority Leader Eric Cantor who shared the video with his colleagues in the House of Representatives.

A bi-partisan group of representatives and senators rallied behind the legislation and it passed in the House and Senate by wide margins. It was signed into law by President Obama in early 2014.

Emmy Award-Winning Documentaries and PSAs

The Truth 365 has been awarded eight Regional Emmy Awards in several categories for its documentaries and Public Service Announcements. These include The Truth 365 Documentary, The Truth 365: Be a Voice, The Truth 365: A National Priority, and Get Wind of This.

More Than 4 Selfie Campaign

Led by The Truth 365, The #MoreThan4 Selfie campaign trended on Twitter and Facebook in March 2015. This simple but unique campaign brought attention to the fact that the National Cancer Institute dedicates only 4% of its research budget to childhood cancer research.

National Institutes of Health Rallies

The Truth 365 organized multiple rallies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to bring attention to the lack of funding for childhood cancer research. Each rally had a theme and received significant media attention. The peaceful and family-friendly rallies caught the attention of National Cancer Institute oncologists and officials who invited our group onto the NIH campus for an in-person visit and address.

Childhood Cancer Petition Drive

Collaborating with high school marketing students, The Truth 365 obtained over 100,000 signatures on a petition to make childhood cancer a National Priority. These signatures were hand-delivered to Senator Mark Warner (Virginia) at the U.S. Capitol.

Advocacy Support

With its large, dedicated social media following, The Truth 365 has provided advocacy support for key childhood cancer legislation. As part of childhood cancer community-wide efforts, The Truth 365 has supported the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, the RACE for Children Act, the Creating Hope Act, the STAR Act, the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act.

Viral Videos and National Media Coverage

Since its inception, The Truth 365’s videos have been viewed over a half billion times in over 100 countries. Cancer fighters and parents representing The Truth 365 have been featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Inside Edition, the Today Show, Good Morning America, the BBC as well as national publications such as the New York Times, TIME Magazine, and People Magazine.