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YACC values the heart of our community

At our monthly team meetings, one of our crew members discusses some of our five values: strength, courage, commitment, heart, and spark. This is Karine’s reflection from this month’s meeting.

My heart exploded a few times these past few months. YACC is growing, it’s growing every day.  This is good news. No — actually this is the best news.

Don’t get me wrong, getting cancer as a young adult is shit. It’s hard, it feels unfair, it’s scary, it disrupts a life that is just beginning. The best news is that more young adults are finding YACC and are not facing all the challenges alone. They get to be part of the club nobody wants to be a part of. And for that, we are grateful, and they are grateful.

Explaining what we do to people who don’t know anything about us is not an easy task. We work with and for people, paying attention to their heart, emotions, wellbeing, whole person. We facilitate and nurture connections. We listen, just listen, with no judgment. We encourage them to share their stories because we know how healing it can be, but also because of the power that lies in it. We offer tools, information, wisdom, and guidance so they feel supported. We normalize their experiences even though getting cancer in your 20s or 30s is a mind fuck for most people. We work with them so they can live their best life possible with, through, and — when possible — beyond cancer.  But all of this can only make an impact if people receive it and also do “something” with and about it, and man alive, our community members do a lot with all of this.

Over these past few months, we have witnessed acts of kindness and care that make the future of humankind look so bright. Our community members are in constant movement. Their lives go through ups and downs physically and emotionally. Some get the “all clear” while others get the “no more treatment” option. Some are barely able to answer texts messages, while others are finally able to go back to work after years. We celebrate YACCers who are welcoming a new baby at home, and in the same breath, sympathizing with some who are told it just won’t happen for them, ever.

Our community exists in common spaces where they share all of it, and these moments are received with generosity, understanding, compassion, love, and support.

Over these past few months, we are seeing an increase of mail exchanges. YACCers are sending each other anonymous mail with words of love and encouragement. Our beautiful community is rallying to support one of theirs suffering or at the end of their lives. They travel across provinces to spend some time together because they know every moment counts. They buy each other gift cards even if they are struggling financially themselves. They celebrate the milestones of their friends even when they have received the worst news.

They also take a leap of faith and attend events where they don’t know anyone. They come to the “cancer camp” and share their balls of shit with everyone in the hopes of flushing some along the way.  They find hope in dark places, they encourage snuggles over struggles, they know self care is not selfish. They trust us and “drink the Kool-Aid.” And as an amazing YACCer, Reggie, said, “How to make Kool-Aid? Mix one part fear to two parts love.”

How the fuck do you explain that to people in a simple way? I know many people wouldn’t believe us, but in a world where the news is packed with fear, sadness, anger, frustration, war, Trump, etc., it is refreshing to come and work at YACC. Cancer is shit — an asshole, really — but our community transforms that lemon to lemonade, shit to gold. That is what we do. Clear as mud? 

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