Category: ‘News’
Posted on April 28th, 2022
Self-Care Tips to Help You Beat Cancer by Scott Sanders of CancerWell.org
Photo via Pixabay
Self-Care Tips to Help You Beat Cancer
Maintaining a positive outlook improves your chances in almost every situation, but sometimes, that’s easier said than done. Living with cancer, whether you’re a parent or a younger person, is difficult even on the best of days; it can take a toll physically and emotionally. It can be hard to perform daily tasks and learning to cope with the realities of an aggressive illness can be overwhelming.
That’s why it’s so important for children and parents who are living with cancer to practice self-care. This can mean anything from finding ways to relax to taking care of your body in a way that makes you feel happy, comfortable, and healthy. Cancer can make you feel isolated, so self-care is also about your mental health — finding ways to be part of your community, spending time with loved ones, or just finding a quiet moment to yourself to do something you enjoy.
Being kind to yourself will help you get through even the roughest days. Here are a few tips from Kids Without Cancer on how you can do just that.
Engage your mind.
Many kids or parents who are living with cancer spend several hours a week at the mercy of a doctor, hospital, or chemotherapy station. It can be draining on your body and mind, so it’s a good idea to find ways to engage your brain during this time. Download stimulating games on your phone or tablet, bring along a good book, or listen to an interesting podcast on your headphones.
Staying positive is important, and this starts with your living space. Support a positive environment by making your home a place that makes you feel happy and relaxed. Ways to transform your space from negative to positive include doing a deep clean, decluttering, and letting in more natural light.
Consider getting a therapy dog.
Animals can be extremely helpful when it comes to our emotional needs; not only are they loyal, happy companions, they can actually help reduce stress and even lower blood pressure when you spend time with them. The Bark notes that’s why many doctors suggest their patients get the help of a therapy dog who can help with emotional support with an illness or mental health issue. These animals are highly trained and can be quite expensive, so it’s best to do some research before choosing one.
Spend your time the way you want to.
Living with cancer can be hard even on the good days, so it’s important for you to do things you enjoy as much as possible. If you have a hobby, practice it; if not, carve time from your daily schedule to do something you enjoy, such as sitting down with a good book or spending time with your grandchildren. This can boost your mood and help keep you positive even during a rough week. Live Better With suggests other self-care tips like keeping a cancer journal and practicing mindfulness.
Take care of your body.
Getting daily exercise and eating well-balanced meals can go a long way toward helping you feel good both physically and mentally, as can getting enough sleep. Treating your body well is one of the best methods for staying motivated when it comes to your health, so eat a variety of veggies and fruits, including mood-enhancing foods like kale, spinach, asparagus, and avocados.
Fit in a workout each day and make sure you’re getting enough rest. Even doing some simple stretches can relieve pain and release stress. If possible, spend some time outside, as fresh air can help you feel relaxed and at peace. However, you may end up spending a lot of time indoors, which is why you need to take good care of the air inside your home. Using an air filter with a high MERV rating with your HVAC system, for instance, will remove a large portion of the potentially harmful airborne particles in your home, giving you fresher air to breathe.
Stay organized.
Living with cancer can affect your body in many ways; it can cause stress and anxiety, which can lead to memory problems, which can, in turn, make you feel disorganized and out of control. Get rid of clutter – both physical and mental – to give yourself some breathing space. Carry a notebook with you to write down things you need to remember and make lists daily of tasks and other things you don’t want to forget in order to stay organized.
Whether a child or a parent, practicing self-care is a big part of staying healthy and positive during a battle with cancer, so it’s imperative that you learn what works for your body and how to stay on a schedule. Get support from friends and family during this time, which will help you stay motivated.
For the past 40 years, Kids Without Cancer has been raising money to fund the pediatric cancer research being conducted at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and its affiliates Wayne State University and the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Reach out for more info today! www.kidswithoutcancer.org
Posted on November 8th, 2021
Practical, Meaningful Ways to Help Pediatric Cancer Patients as an Everyday Citizen
Image via Unsplash
Thank you Scott Sanders of CancerWell.org for writing this article for Kids Without Cancer…….
Practical, Meaningful Ways to Help Pediatric Cancer Patients as an Everyday Citizen
It’s hard to imagine something more difficult than having a child diagnosed with cancer. And while research and treatments have come a long way in recent years, the fact that cancer still exists tells us that there is much more work to be done.
Whether cancer has struck your own child, the child of a close friend, or you simply feel the tug on your heart to help pediatric cancer patients, you can start making a difference today. And you don’t have to be a doctor or scientist to do it. Below, Kids Without Cancer discusses a few simple, impactful ways to help children with cancer.
Learning More
Cancer has long been the most common culprit of death from disease among children. Despite a steady decline in death rates over the last 50 years, it is estimated that 10,500 new childhood cancer cases will be diagnosed by the end of 2021 with around 1,190 deaths resulting from those diagnoses. There are many different types of cancers prevalent among children, though the most common types include leukemias, lymphomas, and CNS tumors.
As with the numerous types of cancers that exist, there are many different treatments to consider. Parents of children with cancer must make a lot of decisions, including how best to treat the disease, which doctors to choose, how to cope with a diagnosis and everyday struggles of the disease, and how to make the necessary life adjustments necessary.
The more you learn about the plight that comes from pediatric cancer, the better you will be able to think of meaningful ways to help the children who are battling the disease. Through your research and education, you may even be inspired to become a teacher or practitioner of alternative cancer treatments (e.g., yoga, music therapy, massage, etc.) or take other steps to get heavily involved!
Redirecting Your Career
Along with learning as much as you can about pediatric cancer, you might consider tailoring your career path to benefit those with the disease. By becoming a nurse, you can deal directly with children who have cancer. This will not only benefit the children you serve but you may also get a fulfillment that would be hard to match through other careers.
If you choose to become a nurse, you will need to get the proper education. Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing or healthcare will equip you with the skills and credentials necessary to help your patients and community at large in the battle against pediatric cancer. Plus, if you take online courses, you can structure your workload in a way that accommodates your current job, family life, and other commitments.
Supporting Organizations
Another practical way to contribute to the battle against pediatric cancer is to get involved with organizations that are already committed to the cause through service, or perhaps you can donate regularly to organizations in your community, across the country, and across the globe. Kids Without Cancer funds and promotes pediatric cancer research and partners with Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute to enact meaningful, tangible change at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and abroad.
Starting Your Own Nonprofit
Finally, if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, consider launching your own nonprofit to fight childhood cancer. Your organization could focus on cancer research and treatments, among other issues, and you could partner with other organizations around the world to expand your influence. As with any type of organization, you will need to dedicate time and energy to forming your nonprofit. This includes handling legal tasks, getting the funding you need and dealing with other financial responsibilities, selecting and managing a board of directors, developing your branding, raising funds and support from your community, plus many other actions.
While we all wish that pediatric cancer had been eradicated at this point, the hard truth is that it still exists and impacts the lives of thousands of children each year. If your heart is burning to contribute to the fight against this vicious disease, consider the information and advice above. But don’t stop here—keep researching and thinking of other ways that you can help children with cancer in your community, across the nation, and abroad.
Posted on September 16th, 2021
Kids Without Cancer turns 41!!!
It is hard to believe that Kids Without Cancer is now 41 years old and still working toward finding that elusive cure for pediatric cancer of all types!
We are proud of the accomplishments from our early days as Leukemia, Research, Life, Inc right up to today as Kids Without Cancer. We have raised in excess of $5 million dollars and are happy to say that over 97% of the money raised is spend directly on pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and its affiliation with Wayne State University School of Medicine and Karmanos Cancer Institute.
We know the research worldwide is bearing fruit because back in 1981 approximately 50% of children diagnosed with cancer would not survive AND today approximately 85% of children diagnosed WILL survive. We just need to reach that 100% goal and create a world of Kids Without Cancer………
Stay tuned for future announcements as we are in the process of expanding our “Kids Without Cancer Zebrafish Initiative” research lab located on the main campus of the Wayne State University School of Medicine!!!
Posted on December 2nd, 2017
Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation’s “Caring for Kids” Monthly Radio Program
Kids Without Cancer was featured in a radio interview produced by the President & CEO of Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation, Larry Burns, on Tuesday November 28, 2017. 
The radio broadcast on Detroit’s Talk Radio Station WJR 760 AM interviewed Kids Without Cancer President, Nick Consiglio. Kids Without Cancer appreciates the opportunity to be able to broadcast to the world it’s mission and goals. Thank you Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation for the invitation…….
To hear the broadcast simply click on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WhW2WuWnHc&feature=youtu.be
Posted on August 17th, 2017
Sachse Construction “Play It Foreward” Golf Outing!
Sachse Construction held their 18th Annual “Play It Forward” Golf Outing on July 10, 2017. As a result of this phenomenal golf outing coupled with the generosity of Sachse Construction’s management and staff Kids Without Cancer was the beneficiary of a $100,442.68 donation.
We cannot find the words to properly thank the Sachse team and the all important participants of the golf outing. Rest assured the money raised will go toward the “Kids Without Cancer Zebra Fish Research Initiative” in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Wayne State University searching for that elusive cure for pediatric cancer!