Our Moon Walk Gala Is Almost Here!

moon

I adore meeting our program participants, donors, board members, and supporters in real life.  The Moon Walk Gala will bring together all of these great Lacuna Lofties into one place in Chicago on October 27th.  We’ll spend an intimate evening to support Lacuna Loft and raise funds to support our programs throughout the year!  We’ll have cocktails and hor d’oeuvres while partaking in a Silent Auction and a 50/50 raffle!  Meet great people and have a wonderful evening of frivolity!

We want you there!  Plus, if you’re a young adult cancer survivor or a young adult cancer caregiver, and you buy a ticket to the gala, you can receive a free limited edition event tee!  If you can’t join us in Chicago, you can purchase a tee or support Lacuna Loft with a donation.

Interested?  Learn more!!!

Grab A Limited Edition Gala Tee Before They’re Gone

gala limited edition tee

We know that most of you aren’t close enough to the midwest or the Chicago-land area to attend the Gala.  (But seriously…wouldn’t it be awesome if you could?!)

Even if you can’t join in on the evening of fun, you can still grab a limited edition, event tee.  Only sold leading up to and at the Moon Walk Gala, we won’t be making these tees again.  Grab yours today before they’re gone!

Grab yours here!

Join Lacuna Loft At The Moon Walk Gala

moon walk gala logo

Join us at the Moon Walk Gala! An intimate evening to support Lacuna Loft and raise funds to support programs for young adult cancer survivors throughout the year! Enjoy cocktails and hor d’oeuvres while partaking in a Silent Auction and a 50/50 raffle, fun with Lightform, and more! Meet great people and have a wonderful evening of frivolity!

Where: 1821 W. Hubbard Street Suite 307 Chicago, IL 60622

When: Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 6-9 pm

Who: You!

Attire: Semi-Formal

Buy your tickets today!

Cancer and Careers is hosting their National Conference on Work & Cancer!

national conference on work and cancer

Lacuna Loft is pleased to partner with Cancer and Careers on the 8th Annual National Conference on Work & Cancer, on Friday, June 22, 2018, in New York City!

This FREE event will explore the complexities working people face as they try to balance their cancer treatment and recovery with employment. Topics will include job search, legal issues, health insurance, working during treatment and more.  CEUs will be offered for oncology nurses and social workers. Applications for travel scholarships are being accepted until April 13th!

For more details or to register, please visit www.cancerandcareers.org/conference.

Petition To Preserve Adolescent And Young Adult Fertility

preserve adolescent and young adult cancer fertility

The National Cancer Institute estimates that each year nearly one-quarter of all new cancer diagnosis will impact men and women of reproductive age. Cancer patients have a very short window to decide to preserve fertility whether prior to treatment or in between surgery and chemotherapy. However, half of adolescents and young adults aren’t told treatment will impact their fertility.

For those who do know, cost stops them. Fertility preservation is not covered by the majority of insurance companies and protecting parenthood is not a standard part of cancer care like reconstruction after a mastectomy. For a young woman this means spending $15,000 out-of-pocket even before cancer treatment begins.

Nine states – Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, and Maryland – have active legislation pending to require insurance companies to cover fertility preservation or expand access to infertility benefits.

Sign Critical Mass’s petition to let policymakers across the country know that you support protecting parenthood after a cancer diagnosis.

Young Adult Cancer Hangouts In November

online young adult cancer hangouts

The Young Adult Cancer (YAC) Hangouts are back!  The online YAC Hangouts bring together young adult cancer survivors and caregivers each month in informal video hangouts where you can chat about anything you’d like.  Whether you’re talking about cancer or anything else under the sun, join together with other people who understand what it’s like to go through young adult cancer.  Finding your young adult cancer tribe can be challenging…we make it easy!

Our November YAC Hangouts are scheduled!  One of them is tonight, so sign up today!!!

Wednesday, November 8th from 5:00 – 6:30 pm PST / 8:00 – 9:30 pm EST.

Tuesday, November 28th from 5:00 – 6:30 pm PST / 8:00 – 9:30 pm EST.

Sign up below and we’ll send you more details!

 

How does it work?  After you fill out the form (above), you’re signed up for the YAC Hangouts!  These hangouts are informal and unmoderated.  There will be a Lacuna Loft volunteer always present as a guide for the hangout, but these video chats are not a support group and will *not* be led or facilitated by a healthcare provider.  If you need to talk with someone more qualified to handle any anxiety, side-effects, etc. please contact your physician.  Prior to each YAC Hangout, we’ll send you a link to the video chat that you’ll follow to attend.  The Hangouts have a “drop-in” policy so no need to alert anyone if you can or cannot make it that week.  Each YAC Hangout is open to any young adult cancer survivor or caregiver who signs up and is available!

What will you need?  A computer (or a smartphone or tablet), a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.

And, that’s it!  If you haven’t already, sign up and attend a YAC Hangout!

We’re Back!

young adult cancer

And we’re back!  We hope your June was fruitful, relaxing, and enjoyable!

Behind the scenes, lots of wonderful things have been happening.  We’ve added some wonderfully generous partners to the Lacuna Loft team of support, we’re almost done launching a new program (more on this soon!), we had a great Open Write Night last week (and will have another one later this month so sign up if you haven’t already!), we have continued hosting YAC Hangouts (with another one happening tomorrow night so sign up if you haven’t already!), we added a spot on our website specific to healthcare providers (we see you out there and we LOVE you!), our Founder and a few of our Board Members attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference and had a fabulous time there connecting with healthcare providers, we’ve been getting a few Creative Workshops ready to announce (sign up if you haven’t already to be alerted when these are announced so you can sign up!), and more!  Seriously…so much more!

Things have been happening in the month of June and so much is about to happen in the coming months.  More Creative Workshops, more YAC Hangouts (July 6th and July 19th this month!), a new program, more Outreach, more Book Club, more more more more more!

We hope you had a wonderful and safe July 4th!  Enjoy our Young Adult Voices posts as they continue on and be sure to check out the rest of our programs as they announce dates and sign-ups!  Lacuna Loft is for you, by you, offering support for young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.  You are amazing, you are strong, you are courageous, and we are so honored to be here with you.

Excited to be back!

P.S.  Interested in volunteering, sharing your story, or letting us know any of your thoughts or comments?  Don’t be shy!  Email info@lacunaloft.org!