The SAMFund Blog has moved!

Our new website at thesamfund.org includes a new blog that enables users to see all our news, announcements, resources, and archived Webinars from one place!

Please visit http://www.thesamfund.org/blog/ to see our latest post and visit our archives.

We'll be shutting down this blog site in February 2013.
Thanks for reading!
--Sam, Michelle and Lee

Cancer and the Workplace Webinars: Returning to Work

The SAMFund is proud to provide Webinars free of charge to the cancer community through our Moving Forward with Your Financial Health Webinar series. By addressing some of the most common financial challenges faced by young adult cancer survivors after treatment, we strive to provide the best information, tools, and guidance to overcome these challenges. Presented in partnership with financial professionals and other organizations, The SAMFund is grateful to our partner, Expect Miracles Foundation for providing financial support for this important resource. All our Webinars are are archived online, accessible 24 x 7.

Join us this Thursday Thursday, December 13, 2012 from 3:00 – 4:00pm EST for Part II of our Cancer and the Workplace Webinars: Returning to Work.

 

We're excited to welcome back Cancer and Careers and Navigating Cancer Survivorship from our Part 1 segment, Working During Treatment. In this segment, Rebecca Nellis and Monica Bryant will teach participants how to navigate returning to work by addressing issues such as resume gaps, interviews and maintaining an online brand. Additionally, they will discuss state and federal laws that may provide protections for cancer survivors and caregivers during the return to work process, including access to reasonable accommodation and intermittent medical leave.

 

Our recording of Cancer and the Workplace Part 1 - Working during Treatment is now available! Presented by Cancer and Careers' Eva LaManna and Navigating Cancer Survivorship's Monica Bryant, Part 1 discussed rights and options for cancer survivors and caregivers in the workplace, including state and federal laws that may provide protections against discrimination, and access to reasonable accommodations and medical leave. In addition to learning about possible legal protections available to them, attendees were presented with practical strategies for working though treatment from how to share the news to combating concentration issues.
Click here to take our short pre-survey to access the archived webinar.

The SAMFund Holiday Campaign is Underway!

Help us make 2013 an even brighter year
for young adult cancer survivors!
Donate to our Holiday Campaign!

More than 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer each year. Saddled with thousands of dollars in medical bills while facing an empty bank account and few, if any, organizations to turn to for help, more young adults than ever are coming to The SAMFund for support.  With your help, we’ve been a “first responder” since 2005, awarding $900,000 to YAs across 48 states. Your commitment to the YA community made this possible. Your dedication to spreading the word about the need will transform the possibility of brighter futures for YAs into reality.

Thank you for believing in our collective ability to make life easier for young adults who have been through the devastation of cancer and are determined to keep moving forward. Thank you for helping them pursue their goals and for reminding them that they are not alone.
 

We're so proud of our SAMFund Family alumni, who have joined together to pay it forward for other young adult survivors. Forming nationwide groups as part of our Alumni Leadership Council (ALC), SAMFundraisers have created three teams to help our holiday campaign be the most successful ever!

 

Alumni leader Amelia describes why: "I have a clear memory of feeling like I was drowning post treatment... I wish I could find a word to describe that feeling of hope, the immense weight that suddenly lifts off your shoulders when you get that magical call from The SAMFund offering to help you in a tangible way, where and when you need it most. That ability to breathe a little easier knowing there are people who believe in you and your ability to move forward with your post treatment life, in the most successful way possible, is a gift I wish I could give to every survivor struggling to follow in my footsteps. "

 

Join our holiday campaign by contributing to an ALC team
or becoming a SAMFundraiser!

Click here to get started!

We are grateful for whatever contribution you are able to make this holiday season. On behalf of our entire young adult community, we thank you for being part of The SAMFund and for making the new year a bright one for young adult survivors across the country.

 



The holidays are just around the corner...

   

HOORAY! The 2012 SAMFund holiday cards are here!

Spread some holiday cheer and support young adult cancer survivors while doing it. Buy your SAMFund holiday cards today!

The message on the inside of each card reads:"Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy holiday season." On the back is info about The SAMFund as well as Lisa Daria, young adult survivor, SAMFund volunteer and the talented artist who designed the cards.

Cards will be packaged in sets of 21 (seven of each image, above) for $25 each, which includes Priority Shipping. 

To place your order:

Email holidaycards@thesamfund.org and let us know how many packages you'd like to order. Please include your mailing address, telephone number and email. We will send you an invoice via email or regular mail for $25 per package of holiday cards.

Thanks in advance for your support!

--Sam, Michelle, Lee and everyone at The SAMFund   

Special thanks to Bridgette at Powder Horn Press for donating the printing of these cards, and to Lisa Daria for donating her paintings so that 100% of the proceeds go directly to SAMFund programs!

Honored! The SAMFund Receives an ASTRO Survivor Circle Grant

We're extremely honored to be featured as a Survivor Circle grant recipient at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Boston this week! The organization's nearly 10,000 members make it the largest radiation oncology organization of its kind.

Check out the spectacular exhibit designed by the ASTRO event team. Mere words cannot describe the pride we feel in seeing our Young Adult (YA) Survivor community highlighted in this way. Seeing our Surviving and Moving Forward logo this large is a sight to behold -- representing all our alumni across 48 states!

The Survivor Circle is ASTRO's way of giving back to the cancer community during their Annual Meeting. Created in 2003, the Survivor Circle honors cancer survivors. It also enables ASTRO to partner with two local patient support organizations, featuring them in the Exhibit Hall at the Annual Meeting.

The intent is to not only give back to the cities ASTRO visits, but also to help raise awareness of important organizations among members.  By awarding The SAMFund a Survivor Circle grant, they are giving back to YAs struggling to recover from the devastating financial impact of cancer treatment. They're helping us help them -- to not only survive, but truly move forward.

Thank you ASTRO!

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Wanted: Wisdom from the Crowds

Questions for our community: give us your wisdom for an upcoming conference presentation. We want to share as much information as we can with our young adult cancer survivor audience.

1. What is the biggest practical challenge that you see in the young adults you work with?



2. What advice would you give to someone entering the new world of survivorship?

Comment here or email leonor@thesamfund.org.  Thanks in advance!

The SAMFund Changed My Life

This blog was published in 2009 by one of our beloved grant recipients, Kate, who celebrated her 5th consecutive year being cancer-free on September 1st 2012. A critical member of the planning committee for The SAMFund 3rd annual fundraiser in Chicago in June, Kate and her team raised over $17,000 for young adult cancer survivors in one amazing, spectacular, extraordinary night. Just the words we'd use to describe Kate herself. 

October 29, 2009

The past two days of my life have been absolutely fantastic. I had to start a blog just to describe to the world how wonderful I feel. Last night I helped plan a fundraising event for The SAMFund. This foundation means so much to me, and let me tell you why.

As most of you know, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, stage 2A with bulky mediastonal disease. Luckily, I have been cancer free for 2 years and counting. Treatment took almost a year, about 10 months of ABDV chemotherapy, plus one continuous month of radiation. I did really well, and avoided getting too sick during treatment, minus one complication. I discovered that in April of 2007 I couldn't breathe, well barely could. After going to the ER, the doctors realized I was allergic to Bleomycin, one of the drugs in my chemo regimen. I was treated over the next month for lung disease (the side effect of the Bleomycin, which is very rare), and got to carry around my personal oxygen supply :) Other than that though, I stayed very healthy. As you can imagine, the bills piled up. I was lucky to have health insurance through BCBS, but that didn't mean I got off scott-free. I owed money to my chemo center, my surgeons, my breathing specialist, my radiologist, etc. Besides medical bills, I had the rest of the bills we all get to experience: phone, rent, utilities, tuition, groceries, etc. It became very overwhelming, very fast. It got to the point where I feared going in for my post treatment because I was a few thousand behind on my next minimum payment due. Scary, right? I felt like I was drowning. The day I became cancer free was bittersweet. For one, I couldn't believe I overcame the disease, but I was the happiest that I had ever felt in my life. I had a huge financial burden on my shoulders though, that was really weighing me down. I was terrified.

I will never forget the night I was at my friend Liz's apartment, having dinner with her and her fiance, Mitch. I remember freaking out to them about rent, bills, etc. I was asking for advice, what do I do? Mitch actually knew about a foundation that was out there to help people like me. They told me about it, and I thought it sounded wonderful, but to be honest, I was also thinking why in the world would anyone be able to help me? First of all, I'm healthy again, so I don't deserve it, and secondly, I didn't think I would be chosen to get a grant. I went home and looked it up, and immediately realized what this foundation represented. They were there to help people trying to survive, post cancer treatment. They help out with real world financial problems, that are impossible to pay when you've just sold your soul to the medical world to be healed.

I applied, and patiently waited. Sam (The founder of SAMFund) called me one afternoon while I was on the train leaving Union Station after class. She told me that I was receiving a grant from the SAMFund. I literally was speechless, but at the same time I wanted to scream because I was so honored, and so happy. I couldn't though, because the 50 people sitting around me on the train would think I was crazy. That day was the second best day of my life. The SAMFund helped out in so many ways, I cannot even put into words how much they've changed my life, and therefore, opened up opportunities for me.

So back to these past 2 days....

The SAMFund is located in Boston, and they decided they wanted to try for a fundraiser in Chicago, to spread awareness, and of course, raise money! I was on the Chicago Committee, and we planned a huge event at Joe's on Weed St. The turn out was amazing. There were so many people there, it touched me heart to see everyone. Everyone was so supportive, and so generous. Also, I got to meet Sam that night. Before I met her, I felt like I knew her. I had talked to Sam so much, but I couldn't wait to put a face with the name. The moment I met her, I almost started crying, because I couldn't believe I was actually meeting the woman who did SO MUCH for me, not to mention, she is a survivor of two non-related cancers. She is an amazing woman, and I was overcome with emotion on meeting her. The event was amazing, and so far, we've raised $10k from last night. THAT IS AWESOME.

I am a passionate person. I am passionate about everything I do, but I haven't found my niche in life. After participating in this event, I found it. I felt a kind of happiness that I've never felt before. It may sound cheesy, but it's the only was to describe it. Knowing that this event is going to directly help out young survivors like myself brought upon this feeling of greatness. It still hasn't gone away, and I hope to volunteer for the SAMFund for the rest of my life. I met the most wonderful people last night, and hope to stay in touch with them.

As scary as some of the stuff I've been through sounds, I wouldn't change a thing if I could. Going through what I went through made me into who I was supposed to be. I learned life's worth of lessons in those 10 months, and am continuing to learn. I see the bigger picture, and am forever grateful for what I have. The SAMFund is a wonderful foundation, and I don't know where I'd be without them.

Tonight I got to hang out with most of the committee for dinner, and it was so much fun. The night went by too fast, and I was so sad it was over. It was hard saying bye to Sam, but I plan on going out to Boston for the SAMFund events! I want to thank you all for your support through everything, and if you made it out last night, thanks again. It touched my heart. If any of you know anyone who has been touched by cancer, please check out Imerman Angels, one on one cancer support connecting cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers. If you know a survivor between the ages of 17 and 35, please tell them about The SAMFund! I never thought I'd be chosen for a grant, but my prayers were answered. It's within reach. Have a wonderful night.

Kate