Support For Young Adults

When I was diagnosed at 19, the most common response I heard from friends, family, and strangers was, "But you're so young!!" They were right, I was so young, and I didn't fully understand why age mattered until much later. In fact, I'm still understanding and accepting that this is reality on a deeper level with each passing day.

Finding a support group

I was very fortunate that I stumbled upon the support group and weekend conference known as CancerCon, which is held by the non-profit, Stupid Cancer. This weekend, specifically tailored for young adults with cancer, was exactly what I needed at that time.

Coincidences

Coincidentally around my diagnosis, one of my best friends was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Both in college, both facing life-changing news. We never really discussed cancer until about a year after the toughest parts of our medical battles. It seemed as though after the worst parts of our journey were over (hopefully), right when we were feeling more positive, moving on with our lives after cancer, we were stumbling upon all of these support groups, experiences, and people who just seemed to understand everything we were talking about. How great it would have been to know about the vast number of resources available when we needed them the most! We became determined to learn more about these groups so that we can inform others and hopefully help many more people through their own journey.

We created something to help

After some brainstorming, he and I decided to create a Podcast called Catalyze Living. On this podcast, we invite members of different organizations to explain their story of how they started, their daily motivation, and how they work to help others Catalyze Living with cancer. We've learned about so many wonderful programs from those who help with legal situations to those who provide camping and nature-centered experiences. ​We're also open to any suggestions for future podcast guests.