Grab a leash and some good vibes because the Save Da Hoomans dog pack has officially taken over Chicago this winter — one bus and train at a time.
CBS News Chicago covered the latest mobilization of the Save Da Hoomans dogs that want to get their humans to sign up for health research that might help people like their owners live healthier, happier, longer lives.
CBS News Chicago anchor Suzanne Le Mignot’s dog is one of the Save Da Hoomans pack members adorning signs and buses to help humans. On a recent TV segment, Le Mignot discussed the importance of mental health and the ease of studies people can do from the comfort of home. One out of every two people in the world will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime, according to research from Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland. And about 80 percent of clinical trials are delayed or don’t happen because there aren’t enough people who’ve volunteered to participate.
“There’s an important campaign that I’m really honored to be a part of,” Le Mignot said during the segment. “I’ve taken pictures with my PAWS Chicago rescue dog, Lucy, to raise awareness about mental health and clinical research trials to help find ways we can all live healthier happier lives.”
The Save Da Hoomans campaign is from the dogs’ perspective, and it’s part of The New Normal® (TNN) movement to give the public easy access to health research about the causes they care about the most through a free matchmaking platform called TNN Match. The site is created at a conversational 7th-grade reading level, making it easy to find health research studies that matter most to you, whether that’s mental health, cancer treatment, chronic illness, or ways to age well.
The Chicagoland ads feature “Breaking News” or “Barking News,” depending on whether there’s a human or four-legged messenger. The Save Da Hoomans pack members that mobilized for this pawsitive cause appearing on more than a hundred signs. They range from digital street locations in the Loop to bus routes to Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line platforms and trains. Those are among the locations where you’ll see Suzanne and Lucy, local doggo influencer Leo (@Pittielicious_Leo on Instagram), and mental health advocate Sandy Sotelo and her influencer doggo, Santi (@Santi.Blue.Pittie on Instagram).
“We can raise all the money in the world by doing runs and walks and funding research, but unless there are actually people participating in the studies, those studies can’t move forward and find answers and new treatments and cures,” said Save Da Hoomans Campaign Director Sara Serritella, who also serves as the Director of Communications at the Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM).
If you spot the ads, snap a photo and tag @bethenewnorm and @savedahoomans to join the movement! To join the movement, check out the dog’s message at savedahoomans.org or the human’s voice at bethenewnormal.org.
About The New Normal® and Save Da Hoomans® Movement
The New Normal® and Save Da Hoomans® Campaigns are championed by the Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM), a partnership between the University of Chicago and Rush in collaboration with Advocate Health Care, the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Loyola University Chicago, and Endeavor Health, as well as the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). The ITM, NUCATS, and CCTS are fueled by nearly $80 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program. The Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research shared its technology to help connect the public with research opportunities for this initiative. This initiative is also supported by the Chicago Department of Public Health and other regional and national partners who believe in empowering everyone to get involved in making discoveries to improve human health. Learn more and join at bethenewnormal.org or savedahoomans.org.
This project is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through Grant Number UL1TR002389 that supports the Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM); Grant Number UL1TR001422 that supports NUCATS; Grant Number UL1TR002003 that supports the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS); and Grant Number UL1TR002240 that supports the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.