Got Cancer? Under 40?
Got cancer? Under the age of 40? In the Los Angeles area? Then mark your calendar for February 9th, I’ve got plans for you!!
As you may know if you’ve read my bio, I’ve worked for City of Hope (an NCI designated cancer center) since 2010. This year City of Hope is hosting its very own AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) cancer summit. Who does that include? Anyone between the ages of 15 and 39 that has been diagnosed with cancer, as well as their caregivers, friends and family.
Cancer is bad news no matter what, there’s not doubt about that. But there are challenges that the AYA population faces that are not often talked about or addressed in hospitals and doctors offices. And go ahead and try to find a support group for young adults with cancer…it’s not an easy task! We’re trying to remedy that here at City of Hope and find ways not only of supporting AYA survivors, friends and family – but also creating connections so those of you who are going through this can support and share wisdom with each other.
This a FREE one day conference focused on wellness for adolescents and young adults affected by cancer. FREE. Seriously. And there will be food, so it’s almost as if we will be paying you to attend.
You’ll get to hear from experts in the field, some of whom are also AYA cancer survivors themselves. You’ll get to meet others who are dealing with cancer, and hear their tricks for navigating the complexities of cancer and life. And did I mention you’ll get free food? Plus, there will be a chance to just hang out and have fun afterwards so you get to know each other outside of the “classroom.”
I’ll be facilitating a session for caregivers of AYA cancer survivors, so if you happen to be there come by and say hi to me! If you can’t make it, I’ll be adding some content to my website soon on caregiving. I’m also planning to add resources to the cancer page of my website to get people connected with organizations out there doing awesome work for cancer patients and survivors. If you have favorites resources, send me an email so I can look into them!
For more information and to register, go to:
City of Hope AYA Cancer Summit
By the way…you don’t need to be a City of Hope Patient to attend, this event is open to the public.
And in case you were wondering, this is generally true of almost all support groups offered at City of Hope, so while you’re poking around online, you might also want to check out the calendar of events on campus.
Living with Cancer Patient Activities and Support Groups City of Hope
If you’re uncertain about whether you can attend a certain class, call the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center directly and they will let you know: 626-218-CARE (2273).
If you have other questions, feel free to send me a message directly! I’d be happy to help.
Hope to see you on the 9th!
Until next time,
Ellen