As she prepares for her 85th birthday and expresses gratitude for being able to do some meaningful work for young kids.
Actress and activists Jane Fonda is all set to celebrate her 85th birthday on December 21st. As she marks another year of her life, she's planning on taking the moment to spread a social message and dedicate the evening to talking about the impact and difference she's trying to create via her initiative Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential (GCAPP). She works towards empowering young kids by having conversations with them about sex education. She launched the initiative back in 1995 and has been consistently working towards offering help. The actor was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in September.
Talking about her intention with GCAPP, Fonda said to PEOPLE, "I've lived a good life. I've lived a productive and intentional life. And I knew I couldn't make it any longer than it was going to be, but I could make it wider and deeper. And I've done that. I feel like I'm doing that." Fonda adds, "I hope that I can be an example to young people so they won't be afraid of getting older." Since the launch of GCAPP, Jane has been tirelessly promoting comprehensive age-appropriate sex education to kids around Georgia and educating parents to have conversations with their children about the same in a healthy manner.
GCAPP happened after Fonda encountered an incident that rather left her shattered and moved. She visited the hospital room of a 14-year-old girl and got to know that she was actually there to give birth to her second baby. She remembers feeling "so helpless and sad for her," she couldn't understand what she could say to such a young girl.
That's when she took matters into her hands and decided to contribute as much as she can towards the upliftment of society. "I realized that whatever we do, we have to, in the work, give young people a sense that they will have a future," Fonda said. "And that they needed to stay out of trouble that would compromise that future."
Earlier in the month of September, she took to Instagram to share her medical diagnosis. She wrote, "I've been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments. This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky. I’m also lucky because I have health insurance and access to the best doctors and treatments. I realize, and it’s painful, that I am privileged in this."
Fonda also celebrated her 75th and 80th birthdays in a grand manner, using the opportunity to shed light on GCAPP's work. This gathering is said to have been planned with a similar mindful approach. Hosted by comedian Heather McMahan, the event will feature a performance by Gladys Knight, with the likes of Lily Tomlin, Tyler Perry, Ludacris, Glennon Doyle, and Abby Wambach expected to be in attendance. As she prepares for her 85th birthday and expresses gratitude for being able to do some meaningful work for young kids, she acknowledged the contribution and support she continues to receive from her family. She does what she does so that her grandkids can live a life assured that they tried their best. "It's going to be rough for young people, and I just want my kids to know and my grandkids to know that I did my best," Fonda adds."I just want my young grandchildren to know that grandma did her best."
Reference:
https://people.com/movies/jane-fonda-on-giving-young-people-hope-for-future-exclusive/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Caroline McCredie
