The impact of creative advocacy: Thomas Mercado’s journey

A colorful approach to raising awareness for important causes

Thomas Mercado, a Veteran and nurse with the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System (EOVAHCS), is deeply involved in advocacy and awareness campaigns and shows immense care for his friends, family, coworkers and fellow Veterans.

Personal approach to advocacy

A close friend of Mercado’s was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. Despite not having the funds to donate to these important causes, Mercado decided to dye his beard pink to support his friend and raise awareness for breast cancer. Although his friend initially doubted this gesture, he followed through, marking the beginning of his journey with creatively supporting national awareness campaigns through coloring his beard.

In November of that year, Mercado’s hometown football coach was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a cause represented by purple. This led him to research various causes and their respective awareness colors. For example, January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, symbolized by blue. Additionally, when Mercado’s son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, he learned that it is represented by puzzle pieces in red, blue, green, and yellow. In April, for Autism Awareness Month, Mercado dyed his beard in these four colors, much to his son’s delight.

Significant awareness months and Mercado’s commitment

Two awareness months hold particular significance for Mercado: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month in June, represented by the color teal, and Suicide Prevention Month in September, marked by the colors purple and teal. Over his 15 years at VA, Mercado has never had a patient complain about his colorful beard. On the contrary, patients enjoy learning about the various causes associated with his beard colors and often look forward to seeing what the next color will be.

The process involves about an hour and a half of bleaching his beard each month to prepare for the new color, followed by approximately an hour to apply the dye. Despite the considerable effort, the rewards make it worthwhile. Some patients have become emotional and expressed gratitude upon learning the reasons behind the beard colors, especially if they have loved ones affected by the causes being supported. Mercado explains to patients that this unique approach is his way of drawing attention to causes that might be overlooked by many but mean the world to someone.

Creative advocacy: A call to action

If you are unable to support campaign awareness financially, consider using creativity to embark on a meaningful journey of advocacy. Thomas Mercado’s creative approach demonstrates how personal gestures can significantly contribute to raising awareness and showing support for important causes.