You’re not an aluminum girl, you’re an Iron Girl. Fight!

I’ve been fortunate to see so many ladies train for their first Iron Girl through Team Fight over the last several months. It’s made me so proud to watch many of you perfect your stroke, run faster, and get up those ugly hills! It reminded me of my first Iron Girl and all

Susie showing that hill who’s boss!

the questions and fears I had. Do I NEED to clip in? What if I can’t get to the kayak fast enough? What if I don’t make the cutoff? What if I’m not strong enough? What was I thinking to believe I could do this?!?!!?

The funny thing is that I still have these fears and insecurities. They haven’t gone away, but I no longer let them paralyze me with fear. Yet I keep them tucked away in a corner of my mind. I know they are there, ready for me to pick them back up, but I won’t. I want all those negative thoughts to sit there and watch me be better, stronger, and more in control come race day. (Hey fear! You’re not the boss of me!)

You don’t HAVE to be strong enough all by yourself. There is no ‘I” in Team FIGHT.

You’re never alone when you are a member of Team Fight!

Don’t get me wrong, I AM strong enough on my own, but the beauty of Team Fight, is that I’m never alone, and neither are you. I always either have a Team Fight brother or sister nearby believing in me.  I’ve completed several races, but never with a real purpose to fuel my fire. The Ulman Cancer Fund has changed that for me this year. Now, when I want to sleep in or cut a workout short, I force myself to recall WHY I fight. It’s what motivates me to keep moving.  I fight because I HATE cancer. I may not ever get to stand on a podium, but I’m going to give cancer a butt kicking in my own way. I know you will, too. Draw strength, close your fists tight, then get in there and show cancer what you’re made of! I often tell my Team Fight sisters, “You’re not an aluminum girl, you’re an Iron Girl. Fight!”

When I participated in my first Team Fight event in 2010, it was as part of a relay team for Half-Full 70 with Theresa Symonds and Julia Skinner. I only snatched up the swim leg because it was the part that terrified me. Makes sense, right? WRONG! That’s when I met Brian Satola. If the poor man had seen me coming, I would not have blamed him if he had wanted to run away…but he never did. EVER. I was full of doubt and fear that I couldn’t make the 50 minute swim cut off. He reassured me several (and I do mean several) times I

Team Fight + YOU = STRONGER!

could do it. I’d be fine. I’d always feel better after a tall, reassuring hug from him, but wondered, “How the heck does this guy know I’ll be okay!??!” (Don’t you hate when people know stuff you don’t know?) I chose to believe him…because I couldn’t rely on my own opinion of myself. I think that’s all I needed. And for that, I’ll be eternally grateful to Brian and Team Fight.

So the best advice I can give anyone with race morning jitters is to stay calm, close your eyes for a second, and tune in to how your legs, arms, and back have carried you this far. How they will perhaps, be pretty spent at the end of your race, but not broken. In fact, you’ll be stronger. Think about how amazing you are to be dressed in yellow and blue representing Team Fight. You KNOW these colors look good on you. You are strong, calm, confident, yet humbled to be doing something truly amazing in the name of young people everywhere fighting cancer.  Look for me if you want, I’ll be looking for you. And if you know me well enough, free hugs abound! Let me, through osmosis, take over your fears and insecurities. I once thought my broad shoulders were created to be a pro linebacker. Instead, during this amazingly blessed season in my life, they are meant to help you carry what you need to let go. Don’t forget, when you’re in the water, on your bike or running, you’ll hear me before you see me. Thank you for inspiring me every day to wake up and do the best job I can. You are all like me – you ROCK!

Why We Fight

This summer has been a huge learning experience for me working at the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. One thing I’ve noticed, and I’m sure its been said before, is there is never a shortage of inspiration working here. If inspiration had to be bought like gas at a gas station, then working at UCF is like being a gas-free car; there has not been one moment where I’ve needed to stop and re-fuel.  (Cheesy, I know, but it’s the best I could come up with!)

In fact, everyday I find inspiration when I walk into the kitchen of our office and pass by the Why We Fight wall. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it is a wall of our office that is covered by a blackboard. In a rainbow of colors, various names of those we fight for have been written. And in addition to all the chalked names, there are letters and magnets and newspaper articles and photos all coming back to why we fight. I don’t know many of these people. In fact, I know very few of these people.

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But, wait, is that true? Because even though I didn’t write it, I know the Grandpa written on the board. It could have just as easily been my hand that wrote “my future children”. And, if it weren’t already there, I would have written my Nana’s name (in pink too, just like the lipstick she loves so much!). I know not one of these names written on this wall, but I know all of them and they are Why We Fight.

On August 19^th I will be participating in the Iron Girl triathlon, not for the first time, but for the first time with more people to fight for then ever before. I thought I was motivated last summer, having dedicated my triathlon to all four of my grandparents who have all faced cancer in one of its many faces, but this summer I’m finding myself surrounded by even more people to fight for and even more reasons to get out there and do my best.

I will be fighting for my grandparents, the ones who have survived the toughest battle of their lives, and those who haven’t, because they are the strongest people I know. I will be fighting for all of the names on the Why We Fight wall and for all the names that are not, because everyone should have support.  This is why I fight.

The 4K Way

As I sat at desk #2 on intern row, I began my usual morning routine with a sip of my freshly made iced coffee (that is a must!). Then I pull up my 4K Awareness Cup spreadsheet (working at UCF has made my love for spreadsheets blossom) along with the current pending blog posts on the 4K admin website…that’s right, I am an admin .  After I am done tallying the number of blog posts each rider has posted from the previous day, I begin to read them. All of them. It is essential that I read over all the blog posts before publishing them to the 4K website because some of the riders may forget to sensor their remarks, but finding things I need to delete or fix is very rare. Mostly, I catch myself submerged in the stories they are telling of the people they have met, the places they have seen, and the humorous moments that have taken place within their group.

Some of my favorite excerpts from the blogs…

“From these days, I have learned one important thing: that independence and teamwork have their own specific time and place. Certain things, small things, we can learn to overcome on our own–in turn, this will make us stronger. Bigger problems however, will require you to use your teammates in order to overcome an obstacle that may otherwise keep one from attaining all the goals they set for themselves. Between my personal struggles and working with other teammates in their struggles, I have found this lesson to be an important one. Just when you think you’ve learned enough, you learn something new and valuable.”

More than anything this trips challenges each rider on all aspects; physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. One of the motifs of the ride and UCF is to change lives. The personal lives of these riders are changing as they overcome new challenges. This is truly a journey in every sense of the word.

“The hope lodge is where patients who live far away and are getting treatment are allowed to stay here for free which is like a hotel setting. Some of us cooked dinner while the others talked to the patients. I started to talk to a man named Bill Gregory. We talked to him about everything from his gardening, to his truck driving throughout the U.S. to his cancer. I was so inspired by him. He told us the hardest part about having cancer was seeing the kids have to fight cancer. I expected him to say chemo or something on those lines but he didn’t think about himself as much the kids. I told him I would dedicate the next day to him. When I saw how much that meant to him, he inspired me even more.”

The riders partake in multiple service opportunities along the way, many of the riders write about the connections they make with people along the way. This is the kind of thing that keeps them going each day.

“6:30 AM — Zombified riders get dressed, do chores, or just wander aimlessly until they get scolded to do something productive. Some people warm up by participating in impromptu dance parties, while others eagerly search for anything that resembles food to devour, beginning the long process of eating up to 7000 calories a day. After breakfast, morning circle inevitably starts with an unpromising role call that is always missing somebody. Riders and hosts interlock fingers and hold hands in a personal ceremony where we share who we’re riding for, reminding us why we’re purposefully awake at this ungodly hour. One rider starts our chant:

“WHERE ARE WE FROM?!”

“BALTIMORE!” all the riders yell back.

“WHERE ARE WE GOING?!”

“PORTLAND!” we scream while the hosts smile at our enthusiasm.

“EAST IS…?”

“EAST!”

“WEST IS…?”

“PORTLAND!”

“WHO ARE WE?!”

“4K!”

“WHO ARE WE?!”

“4K!”

“WHO ARE WE?!”

“4K!” we declare while the hosts are now smiling awkwardly, not knowing what to do while 26 riders won’t stop yelling in unison.

“FIVE-FOOT…”

“RADIUS!”

“BRAAAAAAAD…”

“MYREH MYREH MYREEHH MYREHMYREHMYREHMYREH.”

“DOUBLE YELLOW LINE,” we conclude. At this point, all the hosts are completely lost. We give heartfelt thanks and wish we could give back more. We say good bye, break off into riding groups of three to five people, and set off onto our next destination.”

This is by far one of the most honest posts of the entire ride, it truly is a day in the life, I highly suggest reading the full post!

Quick side-note if you haven’t read the blogs, you should! They are awesome and the riders do a great job telling their stories. http://4kforcancer.org/follow-us/

Back to the point of my blog..

Aside from the ride leaders, who get some nagging e-mails from me, a lot of the riders probably have no idea who I am. They left on their journey before I even began working at UCF, but the crazy thing is I know them. I can pretty much match any name with what ride they are on and for a lot of the committed bloggers and tweeters I feel like I am on the ride with them. Along with all of the media tracking I also had a part in creating thank you videos for all of our wonderful 4K for Cancer donors. In the videos we had the riders say a personal thank-you to their donors. The video also served to continue to spread the message of the Ulman Cancer Fund and to remind our donors how they are changing lives!

Everyday I have my hands in many different projects involving the 4K, helping wherever I can. Right now we are in the midst of interviewing applicants for the 2013 4K for Cancer. Before the process even started we created a template of the questions we would ask and the type of answers we were looking for and once again I am learning more and more about what the 4K is and what the riders experience. Of course I get lots this insight through Stephen, the program manager, who was on the ride in 2011. Last week we began these phone interviews and I find myself talking about the 4K as if I have done it a thousand times. I able to speak about not only logistical things like how everything works, if you get a free bike or not, or how long the ride is, but I also speak of what the riders do and how they are affected by the immensity of this journey. I speak of the communities they are connecting with and the people they meet.

A common phrase in this office is “it’s the 4K way” and although in many settings it is a used as comic relief I find myself living and learning “the 4K way” every day that I come in the office. “The 4K way” is more than a group of young adults raising money and riding across the country. It is a group of young adults who are learning things about themselves and the people around them, they are constantly reminded about why they are riding through the various service projects they are involved in, and they are inspiring communities across the country to join them in changing lives. They are doing more each day than most young adults and they are incredibly consumed by their mission. The perseverance and strength they show is outstanding. The things I read about each day is unbelievable, the riders show me The 4K way and I am forever grateful to be sharing this journey with them via computer!

This has also proved to be quite the recruiting tactic, because if I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the 4K before, I have now been convinced that in 2014 I will be applying for my spot on the 4K.

In the words of one of our riders

Stay inspired….

Christina, Intern #2

The Power of a Good Coach

Throughout my athletic “career”, I’ve had the opportunity to work with all types of coaches – some good, some not so good, and one that, looking back on it, truly changed my attitude towards teamwork, sports and life.

Her name was Connie Walkwitz. She started out as my first grade gym teacher. And as early as first grade she not only taught the basic skills of fitness and health, but instilled in her pupils the importance of teamwork, the truth to the cliché phrase – “it’s not win or lose it’s how you play the game” –  and the love of the sport.

Each year in grade school, Connie was my teacher and coach. I was among the youngest seventh graders to earn a spot on her Varsity Field Hockey squad and the following year became her team captain. While I was easily coachable in skill, my attitude was a bit difficult to train. My desire for perfection on the field often led to frustration, dejection and usually several divits in the ground (which, as my penance, I always had to replace before I could depart the field).

But Connie, always one to find the goodness in everyone (even a crazy, middle school perfectionist like myself) would call me into her office, sit me down, and remind me that attitude trumps everything, working together as a team is more beautiful than scoring that perfect goal, and for every setback or mistake there is an opportunity to learn. She saw me as a whole person, not just a player. And she never gave up on me.

All of her students loved her energy and enthusiasm, in addition to her coaching tactics.  She smiled. She cheered. She hugged us. She was readily armed with a teaching point or two when our game was not up to par. She let us make mistakes and problem solve to correct them. She fostered a true team environment. She was vibrantly energetic. She never lost her temper because her team lost (even if I did). She was the eternal optimist, she embodied the Half Full mentality. Her positive attitude never once subsided.

And even when she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, lost all her hair and became increasingly weak, she continued to support her team from the sidelines for one simple reason.

She loved to coach.

When she passed away on October 31, 2000 after a valiant fight against breast cancer, the world suffered the painstaking loss of a wife, mother, teacher, and friend. But for me, the biggest loss was that future students would never have the opportunity learn from her as I did.

I never had another coach like Connie. And until recently, I had very little faith that a coach like her even existed anymore.

But when I met the Team Fight coaches, I saw that each of them had a little bit of Connie in them. They take time out of their busy professional, familial and athletic lives to coach Team Fighters through walks, runs, bikes and swims. But beyond the physical side – they coach attitude and confidence – two critical components of a successful athlete.

Like Connie, they cheer, they smile, they encourage, they teach. They show up at each practice, event and race for the same reason she did. They love to coach.

I have no doubt that every Team Fighter has at least a handful of stories about how the Team Fight coaches inspired them, supported them and changed them as an athlete – whether it was running/walking at Janelle and Jessica’s No Drop walk/runs  (on National Pina Colada Day), receiving poolside encouragement and expertise from Coach Mike, Jelly and Adam or from the workouts Matt and Shana put together and post each week to help Team Fighters improve their swim. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet and work with all of these extraordinary coaches…and even learn a thing or two from them.

To the Janelle’s, Jessica’s, Mike’s, Jelly’s, Adams, Shana’s, and Matts of the world – my faith in coaching has been restored.

-Krissy Kraczkowsky

Celebrating 3 Years Cancer Free!

Three years.

That’s how long ago it’s been since I had surgery to remove the cancer growing in my body.

Today, I celebrate the anniversary of my surgery, thankfully leaving me in remission for the past three years. All that time, and I can’t escape it: I was a cancer patient. There’s been a lot of pain since I was diagnosed, there’s a lot I’ve had to cope with and there’s been a lot of time mulling over what my diagnosis means to me. But there’s also a lot I’ve learned. I’ve learned why I survived.

After surviving cancer Brina (on left) studied abroad in Spain

This week, I’m working with the UCF staff to hang a wall of small 8 x 8 canvases across our office wall. Each canvas is “in memory of,” “in honor of,” or “I’m a survivor.” Each of us had the opportunity to buy a canvas and decorate it with something meaningful to us. Many people wrote the names of loved one’s that have battled the big “c.” Others wrote out their prayers to heal those currently in their fight. If you would like to join our wall, please contact me at brina@ulmanfund.org for more information.

Purchase your UCF canvas today, by contacting Brina at brina@ulmanfund.org!

For my canvas, I decided to tell me people why I became a survivor.

I survived to go skydiving. I survived to study abroad. I survived to run a 5K. I survived to gamble in Las Vegas. I survived to go to a frat party. I survived to see the Raven’s win the Superbowl. I survived to visit all 7 continents. I survived to fly first class. I survived to ride a mechanical bull. I survived to try surfing. I survived to flirt with a stranger. I survived to ride in a hot air balloon. I survived to go scuba diving. I survived to have my first legal drink. I survived to learn to play an instrument. I survived to go salsa dancing. I survived to visit a volcano. I survived to experience an earthquake. I survived to learn sign language. I survived to go on a blind date. I survived to ride a skateboard.  I survived to shop with a personal shopper. I survived to visit a drive-in movie theater. I survived to do a service project in Africa. I survived to drive cross-country. I survived to take a glass blowing class. I survived to shoot clay. I survived to finish my classic novel list. I survived to eat crabs. I survived to kayak with my dad. I survived to cook with my mom. I survived to see my sister get married. I survived to graduate college. I survived to buy a house. I survived to have a job. I survived to fall in love.

I survived to live.

-Brina

PS- My remission anniversary ironically falls on my parents’ wedding anniversary. Thank you both for supporting me throughout my life, especially today three years ago. Congratulations Mom & Dad on 30 years! I love you!

Brina (on far right) and her family enjoy a trip to Madrid, Spain

Part Of The Team

People usually associate a curse word with the term “intern.” An intern is the office b*tch.

I’ve been the intern at UCF for the past month. And I’ve noticed something about this place: not once have I ever felt like the office b*tch. I feel like part of the team. I AM part of the team. I have a desk, my own extension line and my own personal business card. My first day consisted of being in a staff meeting and listening to all the projects swarming around the room. I was thrown in, and I actually love it.

Natalie, Christina and I have done our fair share of office clean up, inventory counting, and tedious envelope stuffing as interns. But when I think back on all those activities, we were never sitting there working these tasks alone.

Three weeks ago, we were asked to help unload the TEAM FIGHT van. And as the sky opened and the rain came, Brock stood there right next to us moving boxes, flyers and tents out of the car and up into the storage room. When Krissy asked us to create an inventory list, she was right there folding shirts and counting with us. Brian treats us to lunch, sitting with us and asking our opinion on his latest Half Full epiphany. There isn’t a day where I feel like my bosses are my bosses and I am the little minion. My voice is heard, my opinion is valued, and my thoughts become real projects.

Krissy works with UCF Intern, Christina on an inventory project.

I value how personal this office is. In May, when I nervously sat in the fishbowl of a conference room being interviewed by Brock, he asked me if I could travel anywhere, where would it be? He wanted to know me. He wanted to know my personality. In the past few weeks, I’ve watched a few others come through that conference room for interviews. And I’ve watched how every single person in the office has the opportunity to meet the potential newcomer. UCF ensures that he/she will fit with the staff, will mesh with the personalities and be able to morph with the casual flow of the office.

Too often are offices stuffy, boring and dull. Everyone walks around in bland colored suits and sits at their cubicle typing away in silence. Not here. Here you’ll find your casual color dress code with people throwing thoughts out into the open all day long. You’ll find a conference room with whiteboards covered in ideas, numbers and concepts. You’ll find your boss sitting next to you asking for your true, honest and blunt opinion.

I love working in this office. I love how I am part of the team. I love how each person is valued. And I never want this place to lose that drive.

Brina R. Furman
Summer Intern for UCF

The 4K’s Quest to Find the True Value of Mankind

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

Our 2012 rides combined have traversed 22 states, traveled well over 6,000 miles, and have spent the last 35 days immersed in an experience that is unlike any other. They have climbed over mountains, crossed the Great Plains, and passed through countless corn, wheat, and soy fields.  Over the course of their travels, 4K riders have had the fortune of interacting with 1000’s of different people from all different walks of life.  Riders interact with members of the host communities that provide us with shelter, employees at restaurants from whom we ask for food donations, people from strawberry farms on the side of the road, and anyone who will talk to them.  Being exposed and living with so many people from so many backgrounds truly allows all 4K riders to learn of the true value of men and women.

I would love to add stories of the riders meeting great people or when they were helping out local charities on their off days, but my explanation would not do them justice.  Luckily for our readers, the riders have been writing about their experiences and sharing them through their blog posts on our website.  You can visit each rides page at the following web addresses:

Portland Ride- http://4kforcancer.org/follow-us/2012-baltimore-to-portland/

San Francisco Ride- http://4kforcancer.org/follow-us/2012-baltimore-to-san-francisco/

Seattle Ride- http://4kforcancer.org/follow-us/2012-baltimore-to-seattle/

Please take some time to read (and comment on) some of these amazing posts.

All three 2012 rides are more than halfway complete with their cross-country voyage.  As they travel west they will climb over the Rockies and continue to see amazing sights and meet amazing people.  The more they travel, the more clear the true value of man will become.  In the previous 10 years, and up until this point of the 2012 rides, it is almost always the case that the value of the most importance is kindness.  The 4K riders are inspired to keep cycling because they are united by the kindness of those they meet.

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The Heroes of our Everyday Lives

When I was younger, I would clutch the end of my chair watching Indiana Jones and even tailored my email to have Mario Lemieux’s ice hockey jersey number; my heroes at the time.

At the Celebrating Heroes Triathlon, I learned something about heroes. Heroes are the people just like me. They are just like me except for one thing: they have faced an overwhelming obstacle and fought it with an exceptional amount of strength. The struggle may or may not be glamorous but they battle with all their power. They fight and fight and fight until there is nothing more.

The thing is, as I listened to Alyssa Petroff speak on that Saturday, I realized she is a hero. She is amazing. She is brave. She not only went through cancer and treatment but she has made huge life decisions to keep moving forward. And she is brave enough to stand in front of a room full of people and share her story.

At the Celebrating Heroes Triathlon, I learned something about a team.

A team is made up of people just like me. But Team Fight is no ordinary team as I soon found out. The triathlon was winding down. And while there were still a good number of participants on the course, the same could not be said for the spectators and supporters.

Team Fight’s dedication circle is the way we focus on who we are fighting for prior to the start of every event we participate in

That is, until you went over the hill to the final stretch. I left our tent (and might I say it was an exceptional tent at that…the food and the space but especially the participants, the volunteers, and the supporters, EVERYTHING was amazing!) to take water to a few people I was told were still cheering on the final stretch. I got over the hill and was amazed to still see at least a dozen Team Fighters cheering on the remaining participants. Despite the heat and late hour of the day, they were lined up to cheer the participants to the finish and look for the remaining Team Fighters.

That is a true team and one that I am incredibly honored and motivated to be a part of. No one was prepared to leave until we knew everyone on our team was finished, and for that I was speechless and inspired.

(That and I realized I needed more waters!)

Working at the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults has been a learning experience and if I could learn all these things in one weekend, I can’t wait to see what else is waiting for me.

Natalie Fischer, Team Fight Intern

What the Affordable Care Act Means for Young Adults

Yesterday was a big day for cancer survivors all across our country – especially young adults.  In case you missed it, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling on the Affordable Care Act.  There was a lot of noise and debate around this law and yesterday’s ruling.  All of this noise is great because it raises awareness of the healthcare issues faced by so many Americans, but it can also result in confusion about what the law and ruling actually means for Americans.  And most importantly for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults – what it means for young adults.

The Affordable Care Act contains several provisions critical to cancer survivors and their families but below are a few that are so critical to the young people we serve and our ongoing efforts with our partners all across the country to improve survival rates, the quality of life and care for young adults facing cancer.

• Routine costs for clinical trial participation must be covered by insurance

Why is this important: Survival rates for young adults facing cancer haven’t seen the improvements in the last two decades relative to other populations.  A myriad of unique issues contribute to the lack of progress in improving survivorship among young adults, including delayed diagnosis (young adults who don’t seek care and medical practitioners who don’t look at cancer as being a potential diagnosis), limited access to care and lack of adequate health insurance, inadequate treatment and low participation in clinical trials.  This ruling and provision won’t force young adults to participate in more trials, but it can only enhance their ability to seek out and receive the most cutting edge treatment protocols – and hopefully begin to improve the population’s relative survival rates over time.

• Cover young adults under their parents’ insurance policy until their 26th birthday

Why is this important:  Young adults between 18 – 26 remain one of the largest populations of Americans either uninsured or underinsured.  One of the largest contributors of this issue is young adults being dropped from their parent’s insurance plans when they turn 18, 21, graduate from college or start a career.  This provision will enable young adults to hold insurance through their parents plans during this critical transition period.  Unfortunately, way too many young adult cancer patients we connect with do not have insurance – they were forced to drop off their parent’s plans or they opted to go a period of time without insurance after school or between jobs.  This provision will dramatically reduce this unfortunate scenario and allow young adults to avoid playing that game of “I’ll only be uninsured for a few months and nothing will happen to me”.

• Ending discrimination by insurers against those with preexisting conditions

Why is this important: With the current US economy, many young adults lost their jobs or were unable to find employment. The provisions of the ACA, allow for individuals who have been uninsured for six months and can’t buy private insurance because of a pre-existing condition, the ability to join the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan. Under the new law, no plan can deny coverage to people under age 19 because of a pre-existing condition. Starting in 2014, health insurers will be prohibited from discriminating against anyone due to pre-existing condition

• Covering preventive services like breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening with no co-pays and no deductibles

Why is this important: Early diagnosis, the key to ensuring a potentially serious condition is addressed in the earlier stages which can save your life in addition to a significant amount of money.  Generally, the earlier you begin treatment for a condition, the greater your chance for a full recovery.

Even if you’re in the best shape of your life, you may not present with any evidence of a serious condition that may be lurking inside your body. X-rays, blood tests and other routine screenings are among the only ways to detect the early warning signs. Specific conditions that run in your family, like breast or colon cancer, make it even more important that you get screened early and often to keep healthy.

• Insurers can no longer impose lifetime dollar limits on essential health benefits and annual limits are being phased out by 2014. Also, insurance companies can no longer drop your coverage when you get sick due to a mistake you made on your health insurance application.

Why this is important: No one chooses to have cancer, or any other disease for that matter. To be faced with reaching your lifetime max dollar limit on your healthcare coverage adds undue stress to your current diagnosis. This provision will help to alleviate uneccessary worry and financial burden.

Other positive aspects of the ACA for young adults:

• According to the White House, the ACA “provides premium tax credits for young adults making up to roughly $43,000 a year to ensure that they can afford quality coverage in the new state-based Health Insurance Exchanges which start in 2014.” If you don’t make enough money to buy your own insurance, you can qualify for the hardship waiver.

• The ACA gives financial support for the $12 million National Health Services Corps Students-to-Service Loan Repayment Program, which will provide medical school graduates up to $120,000 to repay outstanding loans if they agree to work as primary care doctors in under-served communities.

• The 80/20 Rule Will Improve Campus Health Plans

  Most college health centers don’t allow students to use outside insurance plans, however, the services they provide will improve.

Additional information on the ACA can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/relief-for-americans-and-businesses

Regardless of your political views and/or opinion on the ruling, the positive outcome it will have for young adults and young adult cancer survivors is undeniable and for that we are excited!

Brock Yetso
Presiden & CEO

Parenting with Cancer

In mid-July, the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, in partnership with the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC) and the Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation, will begin a 6 week program for children whose parents are living with cancer.

The CLIMB® Program – Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery, was developed by the Children’s Treehouse Foundation  (www.childrenstreehousefdn.org) who’s mission is to:

To ensure that every child whose parent is diagnosed with cancer is given the early tools and emotional support to cope.

The CLIMB program will be implemented by young adult patient navigators, licensed social workers and trained UMGCC staff volunteers.  The program will run Wednesday evenings from 5-7 pm with dinner and snacks provided.  Parents are encouraged to stay to meet in an informal group during each session.  Free parking is available.

Here are the details!

Who: Children ages 6-11* whose parent has or has had cancer.  Participation is open to all, regardless of where the parent is being or was treated.

What:  A structured program that allows children to learn coping skills during or after a parent’s cancer experience.

When: Wednesday evenings, 5-7 PM, July 11^th thru August 15^th  2012

Where: University of Maryland Medical Center 22 South Greene St. Baltimore MD 21201

Why:  Young children can benefit from support and peer connections when a parent is going through cancer treatment or in survivorship from cancer. Children bond very quickly with other children going through a similar experience, which helps to normalize the feelings of anger, fear and sadness. CLIMB provides children with the support, tools and understanding to become more comfortable with their parents cancer diagnosis.

How: Please contact Elizabeth Saylor, MSW (Elizabeth@ulmanfund.org  or  443.928.1076) by July 6^th

Helping a young child through a parent’s cancer experience can be challenging.  No two children are exactly the same and therefore it follows that no two children will respond to a parent being sick, losing their hair, or being too tired to play, in the same way.  Still there are some predictable ways all kids behave and react to change at specific developmental points in childhood.  We encourage you to proactively talk with your child/ren’s pediatrician, teacher, and daycare provider.

There are many well researched and tested resources, as well as non-profit organizations, devoted to making this process easier.  Please know that you are not alone!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• A partnership between LIVESTRONG -the Lance Armstrong Foundation and PBS. Booklet and Arthur episode DVD are available. http://www.livestrong.org/pdfs/ARTHUR_LAF_ENGLISH-PDF
• Parenting At a Challenging Time (PACT) – Programs on-site at Massachusetts General Hospital with a website that can be accessed from anywhere in the country. www.mghpact.org
• Resources, free telephone counseling, webinars, and helpful fact sheets. www.cancer.org
• “Parenting While Living with Cancer” Oncologist Approved information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology www.cancer.net

* Please note: If you have younger or older children we will do our best to accommodate them or make a referral to another local program.