Young Adult Cancer Canada > Organization > Blog

Great turnout at National Cancer Survivors Day in St. John’s

by angie

Single digit temperatures and drizzle didn't dampen the National Cancer Survivors Day celebrations in St. John's, NL on June 2, 2013! Drivers beeped their support as a sea of approximately 60 yellow shirts walked along Mundy Pond Road and down to Daffodil Place for one of many events honouring cancer survivors across the country.

The weather forced the reception inside where cancer survivor representatives from Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC), Eastern Health, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation spoke candidly about their cancer experiences and how support from their friends, family, and healthcare organizations impacted their lives.

The short walk and brief reception wasn't about raising money for any of the organizations involved or to boost their profiles, it just served as an opportunity to celebrate life with some people who really deserve the celebration.

We'll see you again in 2014!

Posted on Jun 04, 2013 - 05:55 PM

Join us for National Cancer Survivors Day

by angie

Press release

Local Partnership Holds Event to Celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day

May 30, 2013 – St. John’s, NL: Eastern Health, in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation and Young Adult Cancer Canada, will celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day Sunday, June 2, 2013 with a walk from Mundy Pond Road to Daffodil Place on Ropewalk Lane in St. John’s.

“Advances in the diagnosis and treatment for cancer are evident in the ever-increasing population of cancer survivors,” said Katherine Chubbs, Vice President responsible for Cancer Care and Chief Nursing Officer at Eastern Health. “Cancer Survivors Day celebrates those people and families who have been given a new start after overcoming a cancer diagnosis, and also recognizes the health care providers, family members and community advocates who supported these survivors through their journey to wellness.”

National Cancer Survivors Day started in the United States in 1987, and is now recognized worldwide. Local cancer survivors, along with family and friends, health professionals and members of the general public are encouraged to join with millions around the world and celebrate the fact that cancer is no longer a death sentence. This is the second year that Eastern Health, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation and Young Adult Cancer Canada have come together to celebrate National Survivors Day. Last year, the four groups joined forces for the first time to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day with an event at Bowring Park in St. John’s.

“In our lifetime, one in three people in our province will be diagnosed with cancer,” Matthew Piercey, Executive Director of the Canadian Cancer Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Division. “I am honoured to be a part of this group that is celebrating life after a cancer diagnosis. The events planned for June 2, 2013, will provide an opportunity for cancer survivors to connect with other survivors, celebrate milestones and recognize the healthcare providers, family, and friends who have supported them along the way.”

The event on Sunday starts at 12:45 p.m. at the parking lot across from the Mews Centre on Mundy Pond Road in St. John’s with remarks from Matthew Piercey. Remarks will be followed by a celebratory walk at 1 p.m. to Daffodil Place on 70 Ropewalk Lane. A reception will be held at Daffodil Place following the walk, where cancer survivor Susan Penney and members from each of the partnering organization will say a few words. There will be a number of activities available to people of all ages at the reception including face painting, snacks and refreshments and musical entertainment provided by local musician Kathy Stock. There will also be a cancer survivor’s wall, in which survivors are encouraged to decorate with ribbons containing their name and year(s) of survivorship.

“We are pleased to once again join with our partners, Eastern Health, Young Adult Cancer Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society – NL Division, in celebrating National Cancer Survivors Day,” said Lynette Hillier, Executive Director, Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation. “The Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation receives an immeasurable amount of support throughout our province in support of cancer care, which has allowed for significant advances in cancer treatment and tools for our cancer care teams. National Cancer Survivors Day has given us the opportunity to celebrate the impact of those investments.”

In addition to celebrating Cancer Survivors Day, Eastern Health, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation and Young Adult Cancer Canada also support cancer survivors in other ways, examples include:

• Eastern Health offers a six-week program for cancer survivors who are transitioning from active treatment to post treatment. The program, Cancer Transitions, Moving Beyond Treatment, is designed to provide cancer survivors with support and education about exercise, nutrition, emotional health, well-being and medical management that will help them as they continue on their path to wellness. This program is partly funded by the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation.

• The Canadian Cancer Society offers support to cancer survivors through cancer support groups across Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, the Canadian Cancer Society also manages an online community, CancerConnection.ca, that aims to help people who have received a cancer diagnosis, including survivors, and their loved ones share their experiences and build supportive relationships.

• Young Adult Cancer Canada aims to help the 7,000 young adults in Canada diagnosed with cancer each year transition through and beyond their cancer experiences by providing cost-free web-based and face-to-face programs such as Retreat Yourself, the Survivor Conference, Localife, and a thriving online survivor community.

"The cancer journey doesn't always end when treatment is over, and events like National Cancer Survivors Day reminds us to celebrate everything that comes with survivorship," said Geoff Eaton, Founder and Executive Director of Young Adult Cancer Canada. "It's amazing to partner with incredible organizations and individuals in St. John's, and across Canada, to honour the successes as we continue working together to improve the lives of people with cancer."

Sunday’s event will go ahead, rain or shine. All interested participants are asked to meet at 12:45 p.m. at the parking lot across from the Mews Centre on Mundy Pond Road.

About Eastern Health

Eastern Health is the largest, integrated health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador employing approximately 13,000 dedicated employees and serving a population of more than 290,000 people. The authority has an annual budget of about $1.3 billion and offers the full continuum of health and community services including public health, long-term care, community services, hospital care and unique provincial programs and services. Its geographic boundaries extend from St. John’s west to Port Blandford including all communities on the Avalon, Burin and Bonavista Peninsulas.

Posted on May 30, 2013 - 10:00 AM

Our 2011-2012 Annual Report is online

by Geoff

Involvement from survivors, supporters, health professionals, Shavers, donors, sponsors, partners, and more over the past year has helped make it one of the most successful and life-changing years yet, not only for us as an organization, but also for the young adults we were able to help. We hosted 149 young adult cancer survivors at Retreat Yourself and Survivor Conference who are now empowered to move through and beyond their cancer experiences, and to make changes to live more fulfilling lives.

Please visit the annual report section of our website where you will find YACC’s 2011-2012 Annual Report. This report highlights our growth, stories about the young adult cancer survivors we’ve impacted through web-based and face-to-face programs, and key financials from the past year.

Thanks again for helping to make 2011-2012 our best year to date, and we look forward to changing more lives together again this year!

Please feel free to contact us at 1-877-571-7325 if you have questions, or if you would like more information. Please email connect@youngadultcancer.ca if you would like to receive an electronic file or hard copy of the Annual Report.

Always...
Live life. Love life.

Geoff and the Young Adult Cancer Canada team

Posted on May 08, 2013 - 05:24 PM

Are you our next Fund Development Coordinator? (St. John’s)

by angie

Young Adult Cancer Canada has an immediate opening for a Fund Development Coordinator. This position will be 40 hours per week and will start out as temporary, however, there is a possibility this position will be extended.

The successful candidate will possess a desire to help others and will see the importance of ensuring stakeholders have a positive experience with YACC. The candidate will have the ability to track details for a wide range of projects, a natural ability to network and socialize and excellent communication skills. This candidate will be a self-starter as well as a team player.

Major responsibilities for this position will include, but are not limited to the following:

Shave for the Brave duties such as working with and supporting Head Hunters, attending Shaves at schools and offices, coordinating and tracking event materials, coordinating Shave logistics and volunteers, and supporting the coordination of the St. John’s Community Shave.
Special Event duties will include supporting and/or leading the planning, coordination and delivery of special events/initiatives such as the Shave Party, the Climb, and the Survivor Conference Banquet.
Coordinating and supporting third party events for YACC which will include tasks such as organizing and participating in committee meetings and coordination of logistics.

Interested candidate may submit their resumes to Tracy Carberry, Office Manager, at tracy@youngadultcancer.ca.

Posted on Mar 12, 2013 - 10:18 AM

Wrapping up Seven for Seven: Conquering Kilimanjaro

by angie

A few months ago, we told you about Samantha Phelen and Erin Brennan, two women from Newfoundland who created an event called Seven for Seven: Climbing Kilimanjaro as a fundraiser for YACC.

They are back from their new year adventure and you can find Samantha's amazing recap over on her blog, Modern Day Marco. Erin dropped by with some additional cash donations and a souvenir t-shirt last week, and her stories were so exciting, we asked if she would share some of her highlights, too!

Erin Brennan and Geoff Eaton at YACC HQ. We had chills when she spoke of the trip, and we got her back by telling her about some of the young adults she was helping.

On possibility

We started the trek on day one in the pouring rain. Hoping that the weather would clear up, Samantha and I were waiting for the right photo opportunity to take a picture with our Seven for Seven t-shirts. Finally, after four days of what felt like constant rain, there was a break in the clouds and we decided to pull out our shirts to get a snapshot to send home.

Naturally, members of our group asked about the significance of the shirts. We told them how we raised money for YACC, how we made the seven-night trek for 7,000 young canadians diagnosed with cancer every year, our goals, what we achieved, and why we both choose to do this.

One individual in the group spoke up; he had been a cancer survivor in his late twenties and was now 56. He was diagnosed with rectal cancer, went through with surgery immediately, and the doctor told him he may not be able to have any more children afterward. At the time he had one child. The surgery was successful, and a year later, he and his wife were pregnant with their second son. That son and his wife were also members of our trek. It gave me goose bumps--WOW.

We ran into unexpected weather on day five, and unfortunately, this gentleman came down with a chest infection which was partly caused by the altitude as well. He was quite sick on the morning of day six and made a very hard decision to leave the mountain before his illness worsened.

He asked to speak to me as we were leaving camp that morning. He pulled up his sleeve and took off his yellow cancer survivor bracelet and asked me to get it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for him and for my dad, who is currently battling the big C. It was an emotional moment. He gave me the biggest hug and said, "you will get this to the top for me. See you in two days at the lodge."

Everyone that treks this mountain does it for different reasons, and this gave me the extra encouragement I needed to reach the top. When I summited at 7:44 a.m. on January 4, I held that bracelet high and said, "Here's to you; thank you."

We all met back up with him on the night of January 6 for a celebratory dinner and I gave him back his bracelet. It was a proud moment and it proved that anything is possible!

On mountain climbing

The night before we summited, our trek started at 11:45 p.m. on January 3 with plans to get to the top on the morning of January 4. We were bundled up with our head lamps on as we treked though the night. It was a steep climb with a number of ice-capped rocks and zig-zagged trails. You had no idea where you were going, just that it was up!

Our steps were very, very small during the night, and you had to concentrate to keep your mind occupied and not look up because the minute you did, a flooding sensation of discouragement came over you when all you could see was a huge, snowcapped mountain which never seemed to get any closer. A few water stops and breathers along the way kept the group together and focused. The group hardly spoke to one another, and honestly, we needed to keep our breath to walk.

When I look back at this night, I can remember half of it, and the other half is surreal. During the night, I planned out my whole life for the next 10 years and focused on all the positive things as I concentrated on my feet and each step I took.

The sun came up at 5:55 a.m. and it gave me a complete burst of energy to "pick up" the pace (still very slow steps!) to get to the top. We were less than one-and-a-half hours from Stella Point, the first summit, and three hours to the second summit, Uhuru Peak.

Arriving at Uhuru Peak was a proud moment and I personally declared January 4 as "The Best Day Ever."

Thanks, again, to Erin and Samantha for including us in this incredible adventure! You are both like superheroes to everyone here at the office. We can't wait to see what you do next!

(If you are interested, donations can still be made on the fundraising site until February 15.)

Posted on Feb 06, 2013 - 01:07 PM

We’re hiring an Office Assistant! (St. John’s)

by angie

YACC has an immediate opening for a temporary Office Assistant to help during the Shave for the Brave (20-30 hours for the next 16 weeks). There is a possibility that this offer may be extended.

The successful candidate will be responsible for: data entry, filing, receipting, compiling lists, and proofreading web content. Experience in web publishing would be an asset, but not necessary.

Desired characteristics are: excellent attention to detail, organized, able to multitask, and ability to prioritize and work within strict deadlines.

Please forward your resume to tracy@youngadultcancer.ca.

Posted on Feb 01, 2013 - 12:01 PM

Hey St. John’s—we need volunteers!

by angie

A lot of people contact us about volunteering, but because so much of our work is done outside of St. John's (i.e. at events around the country or online), we don't really have regular opportunities for engagement.

We're planning to change that, and this is your opportunity to get in on the volunteer ground floor.

We are about to get serious about Shave for the Brave 2013, but in the meantime, there is still some business to attend to before we can put the 2012 event to bed. There was a technical glitch with our fundraising software that meant we have to print and mail some tax receipts that weren't able to be emailed. We could really use your help stuffing envelopes.

This is actually going to be kind of fun. Bring a friend, have some snacks, and leave feeling relaxed and productive from doing a good deed.

Please contact Beth at beth@youngadultcancer.ca or 700-1979 if you are able to come in during any of these times:

Thursday, January 31 - 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, February 1 - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Friday, February 1 - 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, February 3 - 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday, February 4 - 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, February 9 - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, February 10 - 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

We hope to see you soon!

Posted on Jan 29, 2013 - 04:04 PM

Introducing YACC’s new Fund Development Manager

by Tracy

The YACC team has gotten bigger! We are excited to have Kim Elliott on board as our new Fund Development Manager. Kim will help expand the Shave for the Brave and grow YACC's fund development initiatives in the Maritimes.

Hello!

I cannot believe the incredibly warm welcome I have received from everyone in the YACC family so far, it’s because of this that I know I’ve been lucky enough to join a great group of people doing great work! The moment I saw the blog posting for the new Fund Development Manager, I knew it would be a position I would love, and so far that has been completely true!

I’ve always said that we spend so much of our lives working, that it’s important for me to spend that time doing something meaningful and it’s exciting to see that everyone at YACC is as passionate about their work as I am.

As a new member of the Fund Development team, and the growing team in Halifax, I hope to bring my experience in the non-profit sector and previous work in donor recruitment to the initiatives being undertaken at YACC now, and even more so as we continue to grow.

Thank you YACC for this fantastic opportunity; I’m excited for the adventures to come.

kim@youngadultcancer.ca

Posted on Jan 24, 2013 - 12:19 PM

Are you the supporter of someone with metastatic cancer?

by Karine

We have recently heard from the partner of a survivor in our community who is living with metastatic cancer. One of his New Year's resolutions was to connect with individuals who were dealing with a situation similar to his.

It was wonderful of him to reach out, and we want to help. As you know, there are not many support groups and services for the young adult population. If you look into what is available for patients and survivors living with metastatic cancer diagnosis, it's even less. There is practically nothing for their supporters.

YACC always includes supporters in our face-to-face events, but we that leaves a lot of the year where you're home alone without real support. We want to make an effort to offer services that will support all young adults dealing with cancer from all angles, and one way we can do that is to connect you.

We are reaching out to any supporter spouses/partners between the ages of 18 and 39 who would like to be connected with other supporters in a similar situation. If you are interested or know someone who would be, please email me at karine@youngadultcancer.ca and I will find a way to connect you (probably be through a secret Facebook group).

I want to thank the supporter who connected with us. He gave us an opportunity to try and connect you in a different way, and we hope it will reduce some feelings of isolation.

Of course, if you know of a good resource, let us know.

Hope to hear from you!

Posted on Jan 21, 2013 - 12:26 PM

Happy Holidays from Young Adult Cancer Canada

by angie

We hope you and your loved ones had a great year, and that the best is yet to come in 2013! Enjoy your holiday season, be on your best behaviour, and we look forward to seeing you all in the new year.