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inspiration |
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cancer
adventures: turning loss into triumph
Inspiring
stories of survivors and caregivers who took a negative
and turned it into something positive to benefit
others.
Compassionate
Hands
Kelly Turner, a seventeen year veteran police
officer, describes herself as shy, but
you wouldn’t know it by what she has
taken on. Motivated by her own cancer
experience, Kelly founded The CHAIN Fund
to assist cancer patients with
non-medical living expenses.
www.TheChainFund.com
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Biking for a Cause
Just ten months after a surgery that removed
only half of his brain tumor, Gary Bonacker
rode alongside Lance Armstrong at the Ride
for the Roses in Austin,
Texas. The experience so impacted Gary that
he established a cycling event to fund local
survivorship programs.
www.TourDeschutes.org |
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Emilio’s Life
Emilio
was only three years old when he was
diagnosed with leukemia. His parents,
Richard and Diane Nares, fully expected him
to survive and had determined from the onset
that someday they would find a way to give
back.
www.EmilioNaresFoundation.org |
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I’m Too Young For
This!
Matthew
Zachary
was studying music in college with the
ambition to be a Hollywood composer when
his encounter with brain cancer forced a
career change. After surgery and
treatments,
Matthew determined to help meet the
unique needs of other young adult cancer
survivors.
www.i2y.org
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Angel Hair
When Staci Wright lost her hair to cancer
treatment, her mom learned of a
hair system that
looks real and stays in place – even on the
soccer field. Staci and her mom
founded Angel Hair Foundation to provide
this same benefit for other
children dealing with hair loss.
www.AngelHairFoundation.org
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Wendy’s Wish
Wendy was always thinking of others, even in the
final week of her life.
While battling Stage 4 colon cancer, Wendy laid
out her wishes to her husband, Al, and their
closest friends – she wanted a fund established
to help ease the burden for others going through
cancer.
www.WendysWish.org |
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Tamika & Friends
Tamika
Felder, at age 25, was on an upward swing as
a television reporter and producer when she
was diagnosed with cervical cancer. After
recovering, she founded a non-profit to
educate on cervical cancer and provide
support and aid to women dealing with the
disease.
www.TamikaAndFriends.org
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The House that JW
Built
He
left this earth too soon, but in his sixteen
years he inspired countless people across
two continents with his courage and vision.
www.JWHouse.org |
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Live, Love, Learn ...
Every Day
Minnie
Hines-Chen was diagnosed with breast cancer
just a few weeks before she was accepted
into nursing school.
Minnie chose a tough chemo regimen so she
could get back on track and serve others
through a career in nursing.
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Sparrow Clubs
This is the story that prompted the seventh
grader to withdraw his life savings from the
bank, that seeded the account, that grew
through an overwhelming response of
compassion, |
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that saved a baby’s life, that sparked the
founding of Sparrow Clubs USA.
www.SparrowClubs.org |
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Finding Balance
Colorectal cancer and the repercussions of
extreme surgery, chemotherapy and radiation
would have slowed most 29-year-olds down.
But not Ben Moon – adventure photographer,
rock climber, surfer.
www.BenMoon.com |
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Community at its Best
When
three families in
Floyd
County, Virginia were touched by cancer, the
good folks of this small county – 383 square
miles straddling the highlands of the Blue
Ridge Mountains – rallied |
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in ways that were beyond belief
with financial, emotional and prayer
support.
www.SameFight.org
www.KassidysPage.com |
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Hand-Knitted Kindness
Compassion and prayers are woven into the
hand-knitted prayer shawls and then given to
people recuperating from surgery or illness.
Two long-time friends, Marilyn Jaquish
and Jill Hinds, however, have taken the concept to a
whole new level. |
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Everyday Hero
Three separate diagnoses within ten
months left Doug Ulman, Brown University
soccer player, frustrated that there were so
few cancer resources for his age group. So
Doug and his family decided to change that.
www.UlmanFund.org
www.LiveSTRONG.org |
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Highly Motivated
Duke University
student Josh Sommer has chordoma, a rare
form of cancer with an average survival rate
of seven years. Working against the clock,
Josh and his mother, Dr. Simone Sommer,
established a foundation to raise funds and
bring researchers together from around the
world.
www.ChordomaFoundation.org |
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Quilting for Cancer
If you
had told Frank Halden that someday he would
sew quilts and raffle them off to
benefit cancer research, he probably
would have thought you were crazy. After
all, it was his wife, Hallie-Jo, who was the
seamstress in the family.
www.Quilt4Cancer.org |
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Conquer Together
Nine-year-old
Mark Ciccarelli pasted a smile on his face
and pretended that everything was fine so
his family and friends wouldn’t worry about
him. But no child with cancer should have to
carry that burden.
As a result, Mark created a peer support
network to connect people of similar ages,
cancer types and interests.
www.ConquerTogether.com |
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Stepping Up to the
Plate
Jennifer Fuller married Warren Brusstar,
and Philadelphia Phillies teammate
Tug McGraw was part of the package.
When
Tug was
diagnosed with brain cancer, it was only
natural that Jennifer would step
forward and serve as caregivers and
co-founders of the Tug McGraw
Foundation.
www.TugMcGraw.org
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Adventure Therapy
First Descents is the brainchild of Brad
Ludden, professional kayaker and Nike
athlete, and Allan Goldberg took it to
the next level. Fueled by Allan’s passion
for
survivorship issues,
First Descents |
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facilitates
whitewater kayaking and outdoor adventure –
free of charge – to young adults coping with
cancer.
www.FirstDescents.org |
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I Never Signed Up For This!
When Katie Strumpf was diagnosed
with leukemia, there were no online
resources or publications to offer guidance
to a ten-year-old kid.
While still going through treatments, Katie
told her mom that someday she would write a
book to encourage pre-teens with cancer.
www.KatieStrumpf.com |
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Paying It Forward
They come
in all sizes. They’re made from plaids and
solids and fun prints, in audacious colors
and sweet pastels. They’re chemo quilts, and
they’re designed to bring comfort and warmth
to patients undergoing chemo. |
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Bridging the Gap
Within 24 hours of her breast cancer
diagnosis, Lizzi Katz received two phone
calls – one from the local Nurse Navigator and the other from a
peer support volunteer.
After a full recovery, Lizzi found a way to
give back by serving as breast health
educator through Komen funding.
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Casting for Recovery
Sabina Smith didn’t think she
needed a cancer support group – until she
stumbled upon an opportunity to attend a fly
fishing retreat.
Sabina’s weekend venture left her with the tools
to better manage cancer and inspired her to
facilitate a
same experience for other women.
www.CastingForRecovery.org |
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Chocolate, Tea and
Pocket Angels
Pam DiDente, breast cancer survivor and nurse,
brought an idea home
from a
visit to Alaska - breast cancer gift boxes
filled with various comfort items, and
information about cancer support services. |
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Gift of Hope
Byron Dudley was
fortunate to have parents who encouraged his
photography interests at a young age. After
a successful career in education and a
cancer
diagnosis, Byron produced
a Calendar of Hope for cancer patients full
of inspiring photography. |
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Camp Sunshine
Matthew Hoidal put together a team
of twelve athletes that ran from Florida to Maine
raising funds for Camp Sunshine.
And then he was recruited to serve as director
of the camp,
a
place for children
with life-threatening illnesses and their
immediate family members.
www.CampSunshine.org |
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