Terms and Conditions for Story Submissions.

Welcome

Thank you for wanting to share your story with the Cancer Connects Us community. Your courage to open up about your journey matters deeply, and these terms are here to protect both you and others who will read your story.

We've written these terms in plain language because legal documents shouldn't add stress to your life. If anything is unclear, please reach out to us at support@cancerconnects.ca.

What This Agreement Covers

When you submit your story through our "Share Your Story" feature, you're agreeing to these terms. This includes any text, photos, or other materials you share with us.

Your Story, Your Rights

You keep ownership of your story. We will never claim to own your personal experiences or the way you've chosen to tell them.

We need permission to share it. By submitting your story, you're giving us permission to:

•  Review your submission for safety and appropriateness

• Edit for length, clarity, or to remove identifying information (with your approval)

• Publish your story on our website and in our podcast materials

• Share excerpts on our social media channels

• Include your story in educational materials about cancer experiences

You can change your mind. You can ask us to remove your published story at any time by contacting us. We'll honor this request promptly, though copies may remain in search engines or archives for some time.

How We Handle Your Information

Privacy matters to us. We follow Canada's privacy laws (PIPEDA) and Saskatchewan's privacy regulations when handling your personal information.

What we collect:

• Your story and any photos you choose to share

• Your contact information (name and email)

• Optional demographic information (age, location, diagnosis type) if you provide it

How we protect it:

• All submissions are stored securely and only accessible to authorized team members

• We use encryption to protect your data during transmission and storage

• We never sell or rent your information to third parties

• We only share your information as described in these terms or as required by law

Your privacy choices:

• You can choose to share your story anonymously (using a first name only or pseudonym)

• You can request to see what information we have about you

• You can ask us to correct any errors in your information

• You can withdraw your consent for us to use your information (though this may mean removing your published story)

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Content Guidelines

We want Cancer Connects Us to be a safe, supportive space for everyone.

We welcome stories that:

• Share honest experiences that you have personally gone through

• Offer hope, support, or practical insights to others

• Respect the privacy of family members, friends, and healthcare providers

• Are written by you or someone close to you (with their permission)

We'll need to decline stories that:

• Contain false medical claims or dangerous health advice

• Include graphic medical details that might distress other readers

• Attack or criticize specific doctors, hospitals, or treatment centers by name

• Violate someone else's privacy without their consent

• Contain hate speech, discrimination, or harmful content

• Promote specific products, treatments, or services for commercial gain

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Our Review Process

Every story is reviewed. We read every submission to ensure it fits our community guidelines and is safe for publication.

We might suggest edits. Sometimes we'll suggest changes to:

• Protect your privacy or the privacy of others

• Make the story easier to read

• Ensure medical information is presented responsibly

• Fit length requirements

We'll always ask first. Any substantial changes will be shared with you for approval before publication.

Timeline. We typically review submissions within one week. If we need more time, we'll let you know.

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What We Can't Promise

Medical advice. Cancer Connects Us provides information and support, but we're not experts in every field. Nothing on our site should replace you seeking medical or psychosocial care from a qualified health care professional.

Outcomes. While we hope your story helps others, we can't guarantee specific results or responses.

Permanent availability. Technology changes, and while we intend to keep stories available long-term, we can't guarantee permanent access.

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If Something Goes Wrong

Mistakes happen. If we publish something incorrectly or there's a problem with your submission, contact us immediately. We'll work to fix it quickly. By sharing your story with us, you agree that, while we'll do our best to handle everything carefully, you won't hold Cancer Connects Us responsible for any unintended consequences that might arise from errors in your original submission.

Concerns about other content. If you see something on our site that concerns you, please let us know. We take community safety seriously, and while we carefully consider all feedback, this doesn't automatically mean we'll change content if we believe it still meets our community guidelines and serves our readers well.

Complaints. If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your information or story, you can contact:

• Our team directly at: support@cancerconnects.ca

• The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• The Saskatchewan Privacy Commissioner

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Legal Details

These terms are governed by Canadian and Saskatchewan law.

Changes to these terms. We may update these terms occasionally. If we make significant changes, we'll notify you by email if we have your contact information, and post the updated terms on our website.

If part of this agreement is unenforceable, the rest still applies.

Our liability. We're not liable for any indirect damages that might result from your use of our platform, beyond what's required by law.

Your story matters. Your privacy matters. Thank you for trusting us with both.

*This document was prepared to comply with Canadian privacy legislation including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). It was written with sensitivity to the unique needs and vulnerabilities of our audience.