The SAMFund for Young Adult Survivors of Cancer

Lots going on for YA survivors!

2012-02-10T10:44:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone and happy Friday!

I keep getting emails from cancer advocates and organizations about upcoming events for the young adult survivor community, and figured it would be best to post them all here rather than crowd your inboxes...

Please take a moment to check them out. We think you'll find them informative/empowering/as awesome as we do!

Sam

--The ninth annual Young Adult Cancer Conference in Boston, MA is being held on Saturday, March 24th from 8:30am to 3pm. The first of these conferences, back in 2003, was where The SAMFund got started, so it holds a special place in our hearts. It's a day packed with workshops, networking and information and if you're in or near the Boston area, we think you should sign up. Not convinced? Jonny Imerman is the keynote and he and I are co-facilitating a workshop called "Navigating the Medical System." Hope to see you there!

--A team of pediatric oncology advanced practice nurses are conducting an NIH-funded study intended to enhance the lives of female survivors of childhood cancer. The study is web-based and volunteers will be paid $25 for their participation. If you are female, between the ages of 18 and 25, and at least 6 months off treatment, please check it out here: http://www66.homepage.villanova.edu/mary.ann.cantrell. You can also email Mary Ann Cantrell directly for more info: mary.ann.cantrell@villanova.edu.

--i2y's annual OMG Summit is being held in Las Vegas from March 30 - April 1. If you haven't signed up yet, there are still a few spots left. Two SAMFund reps (incidentally, both named Amelia) will be there so if you see them, be sure to say hello!

--The SAMFund is proud to be a community partner for Cancer and Careers' 2012 National Conference on Work and Cancer on Friday, June 22nd in New York City. This FREE conference 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. Applications for travel scholarships are available!

The importance of being your own best advocate

2012-01-17T13:02:00.006-05:00

One of the reasons why young adults have the lowest survival rates of any age group is that they are misdiagnosed the first (or second, or third…) time, or that their concerns are brushed aside by doctors who tell them that they are too young for their symptoms to be anything “real.” Ashley, one of our newest grant recipients, shares her story, as well as how she learned to speak up and take charge of her health.

As a three-time cancer survivor at age 27, one of the most important things I’ve learned throughout my battles is the importance, in some cases life-saving, of being my own advocate.

Despite the best intentions, resources, and education, no friend, family member, or doctor knows my body as well as I do. It’s not that I don’t view my (very extensive) team of doctors as authorities in their fields, it’s more that there isn’t much in the way of a “field” regarding my condition (a rare genetic disorder called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome that greatly increases my risk of developing multiple cancers). Until I was diagnosed with the syndrome following my second cancer, I had a difficult time convincing my doctors to biopsy the many (seemingly) innocuous growths that I had periodically found throughout my body since childhood. My only explanation was to say that I knew something was wrong, a pronouncement that unfortunately doesn’t carry much weight coming from a fourteen-year-old with a questionable mass in her inner thigh.

I hadn’t yet been diagnosed with cancer at that time, though the mass was not the first of its kind. I was born with a similar growth under my eyelid. Because the pathology on that growth had come back clear at the time, I never heard or thought much of it growing up until, as an adolescent, I noticed a small hardened mass in my thigh one summer while working as a life guard at a local pool. If I had known then what I know now, I would have gone to a surgeon specializing in cancerous growths, but at the time it seemed to be a fairly straightforward dermatological issue. The pathology came back somewhat inconclusive; though the report noted “pre-cancerous cell” traits, I was advised that it was “not an issue” and that I “shouldn’t worry about it,” a phrase I became accustomed to hearing over the years. And since that’s what a rising high school freshman would prefer to hear, I thought little of it, too, for several years. In retrospect, I now see that these were related instances.

Still, I was caught completely off-guard my senior year of high school when I was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (brain cancer). Too few pieces of the puzzle had manifested by that point to put together the pieces of a Li-Fraumeni diagnosis, so by the time I found a hardened mass in my breast at age 24, I was fairly accustomed to the puzzled looks of medical providers questioning why someone so young would have such a growth, and dismissing it as benign. However, I insisted on a biopsy since, once again, something “just seemed wrong.” Weeks later, I was diagnosed with cancer for a second time in my life, this time breast cancer. I’m grateful to the surgeon who recognized the signs of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome in my medical history and suggested that I consider genetic testing. When the genetic test came back positive, I immediately found specialists to monitor each system of my body, including a doctor per organ within some systems.

With thirty rounds of radiation and three cumulative years of chemotherapy amassed by age 25, I finally learned to rely on my instincts. The result was that I have been able to catch several different types of growths at the onset and act on them before they spread, including a recent skin cancer removal. I’ve also learned to be less meek about my medical suspicions, and consequentially, my doctors have come to trust and even rely on my intuition.

A diagnosis of cancer can seem to some like a sentence. However, I believe that beyond the fear, there’s power and hope in the opportunity to be your own advocate. Learn to be proactive in educating yourself about your condition, even if it’s one like mine, which has no known cure-- all the better if it does!—and listen to your body when something “just doesn’t seem right.” Empower yourself to speak up as your own expert.

Readers: have you encountered doctors who tell you everything is fine, even when you know it’s not? How do you self-advocate? What works? What doesn’t?

Next SAMFund Webinar coming up on 1/26!

2012-01-06T15:18:00.004-05:00

Are you (or do you know) a young adult with a history of cancer who is struggling to find employment, or facing challenges with your current job?

The SAMFund is proud to present the next Webinar in our Moving Forward With Your Financial Health series! We are excited to partner with Cancer and Careers for Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Employment Challenges and Concerns .

In this presentation, Rebecca Nellis, Director of Programs, will address some of the most common employment concerns and challenges for young adults with a history of cancer in the workforce:

What do I do about the gap on my résumé from when I was in treatment?
Do I tell my prospective or current employer about my cancer history?
What if I need time off for doctor's appointments, fatigue, or other cancer-related issues?
How might what I say or do online impact my current or future employment options?

Join us for this FREE Webinar on Thursday, January 26th at 3pm EST. After signing up, please take a minute to fill out our pre-Webinar survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JMM9F7S

Thanks!

Sam & Michelle

P.S. Please share this info with anyone you know who might be interested in attending this Webinar. If you can't participate, there will be a recording available on our website afterwards!

Happy new year from The SAMFund!

2011-12-29T14:10:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I was told that The SAMFund prevented a young woman from being evicted from her apartment.

This is just one of the amazing stories we've heard since notifying 92 young adults last month that they'd be receiving grants from The SAMFund. In the past six weeks, we've paid out a total of $62,775, including:

$17,924 for monthly rent/mortgage payments
$12,884 to help young adults get out from under medical debt
$8,352 for health and wellness, including gym/yoga memberships, mental health and massage therapy so that they can keep themselves healthy and strong
$3,108 so that survivors can maintain their much-needed health insurance coverage
$3,000 to help with the exorbitant costs of family-building, including IVF and adoption

...as well as student loan payments, prescription costs, car insurance premiums, computers, utilities and more. We have another $70,000 to pay out for this year's grant recipients, and then we'll start the process all over again!

Together, we can make 2012 a brighter year for many more young adult survivors.

With just two days left in 2011, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The SAMFund so that we can continue to help young adults recover from the financially devastating effects of cancer treatment.

If you have already made a year-end contribution to The SAMFund, THANK YOU! We are deeply grateful for your continued support. Please share this post with friends and family so that they can learn about what we do and become part of The SAMFund community too.

On behalf of everyone at The SAMFund, I want to wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy new year. Thank you for making 2011 such a spectacular year and for sharing our enthusiasm for all that lies ahead.

How in the world...

2011-12-15T13:47:00.009-05:00

...does more than a month pass without a single blog post from The SAMFund? That's just pathetic. We apologize. Really. All I can offer by way of explanation is that each time I sit down to start a post, something new comes up that I want to blog about, and then the mail comes and we have all sorts of paperwork to process so we can pay out grants, and then I want to blog about that...

And here we are.

So, before another month goes by, here's a recap of the exciting things that have been happening recently:

1.) Back in mid-November, we were thrilled to bring back The SAMFund Comedy Night event to NYC with not one, but two great events! We had an amazing turnout at the Gin Mill of SAMFund alums - some of whom were so brand new to our organization they literally had been notified days before that they'd be receiving a grant! - and were thrilled to see so many familiar and new faces from The SAMFund community. Then, it was on to Stand Up NY for a comedy show that was so funny my head actually hurt by the end of the night!

Comedians Marion Grodin, who emceed the event, Cory Kahaney, Greer Barnes, Mike Vecchione and Aaron Burg made sure everyone stayed laughing for an hour and a half straight. The place was PACKED and the energy was high - all in all, the perfect set-up for a fantastic evening.

Of course, we need to give a special shout out to my cousin Jason at Steinberg Talent for not only coordinating the event but also for coming up with the idea back in 2004 in the first place. This year's event raised over $8,000... amazing. We are so grateful to everyone who supported the event and we're already looking forward to next year!

2.) Quick grants update: we notified 92 young adults last month that they'd be receiving awards from The SAMFund, and already we've paid out over $40,000! We're hoping that some of our newest alums will share their stories on our blog, so stay tuned...

3.) In early November, Mel (the chair of our Alumni Leadership Council) and I traveled to Austin for the annual Livestrong Young Adult Alliance meeting. With more than 100 cancer organizations and institutions represented, new contacts made, and important work being done to make things better for young adults around the globe, it was, in one word, inspiring. (In two more words: empowering and thrilling. I could come up with more, but you get the point.) Mel is working on a blog post about it so I won't spill too many beans here, but suffice it to say it was a very full, and very productive, few days!

4.) And finally, our year-end newsletter is out! And wow, is it pretty. (I can say that, because I didn't design it. Huge props to Megan for doing all of the layout and design!) If you haven't yet seen it online or in your mailbox, check it out here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs002/1107594991599/archive/1108918336858.html

Here are some highlights:

From Blake and Megan, who received a grant in 2010 to begin the family-building process: "This holiday season we're thrilled and grateful to be celebrating for the first time as a family of three. Last year, The SAMFund awarded us a grant to help cover the high costs of post-cancer fertility treatments. Thanks in part to your generous support, we were finally able to recognize our longtime dream of building a family: our beautiful daughter Ellie was born this September."

Updates from Kari, Jacquae, Jessica and Ginny-Beth, all SAMFund alums from several years back, and all who have gone on to do amazing things like become doctors, get out from under medical debt, and start businesses. We love sharing stories of our newest grant recipients because they really show the immediate impact of our awards, but we are equally excited to see what past recipients are able to do in the longer-term. The four updates in our newsletter are testament to the fact that when some of the financial pressure is taken off, YAs can - and do - accomplish great things.

Overview of this year's new Webinar series, "Moving Forward With Your Financial Health," with this quote from a recent participant whose life was truly changed by the information provided: "Just when I thought I'd lose everything - from where I lived, to the food on my table - I heard about The SAMFund's Webinar. During the Webinar, I learned all of the options for health insurance in my state... The importance of Webinars like these cannot be measured.

And, lastly, a blurb from two SAMFund alums who have been helping to expand our Survivors' Network program. Kyle and Amelia, in Boston and northern California, have taken on a leadership role within The SAMFund and are committed to growing this program over the next year. They wrote: "At these events, we are reminded and inspired that as survivors we are not damaged goods, but have become stronger and better versions of ourselves. We are proud to help The SAMFund expand its network of support and programs to young adult survivors across the country."

So, dear blog followers, all of *this* is why we haven't had time to blog. Again, we are really sorry if you thought we were ignoring you, and we promise to take some time away each week to update you on all of the exciting things happening at The SAMFund... after all, you're as much a part of it as we are.

Happy holidays!

Sam

Spread some holiday cheer...

2011-11-03T12:49:00.013-04:00

Woo hoo! 2011 SAMFund holiday cards are here!

Thanks to our good friend Lisa, who is simultaneously a young adult survivor, SAMFund volunteer and gifted artist, we have three new designs on this year's holiday cards (scroll to the bottom to check them out!).

They come in packages of 21 (seven of each design), cost $25 (which includes Priority Shipping) and help to support young adult cancer survivors through The SAMFund's unique programs. Can't beat that!

If you'd like to order some, email holidaycards AT thesamfund.org, with the number of packages you'd like, your shipping address and phone number, and we'll send you an invoice by mail or email.

Or, for more info, go here: http://www.thesamfund.org/holiday/index.html

Get ready to laugh...

2011-11-02T10:24:00.009-04:00

Tickets are going fast... hope you can join us for the return of SAMFund Comedy Night in NYC!

Line-up includes: Amy Schumer, Mike Vecchione, Aaron Berg and Greer Barnes. Thanks to our host committee (Sarina, Emily, Rachelle, Candace, Jennifer, Jon, Gregg and Marissa), Stand Up NY, and Steinberg Talent for making this event possible!

SAMFund Comedy Night is coming back to NYC!

2011-10-20T10:29:00.009-04:00

Back in 2004, we hosted our very first fundraiser in New York City -- a stand-up comedy show that a) gave us a chance to share our story with a new audience, b) was a huge success, and c) made us laugh so hard that our sides hurt by the end of the night. (No exaggeration.) It was such a fun event that we decided to repeat it for the following five years.

From 2004-2009, these NYC Comedy Night events raised over $40,000 for our grants program!

So imagine how excited we are to announce that Comedy Night is back - and bigger and better than ever!!

If you're in the NYC area, or feel like a visit, here are the details:

When: Thursday, November 17th

Where: From 6-7:30pm, we'll be at the Gin Mill, and then it's on to StandUp NY at 8pm for a comedy show! (You don't have to come to both if you don't want to...tickets will be sold separately but they're both going to be fun. We're just saying.)

How much: $35 for the Gin Mill (includes open bar, free apps), $15 of which is tax-deductible. $45 for StandUp NY, $25 of which is tax-deductible. $75 if you want to come to both!

The line-up for the comedy show will be announced soon, but if past years are any indication, laughs are guaranteed. Huge thanks to Steinberg Talent for coordinating this event (as they have since the very first one) and for just making our lives so easy.

Click on the icon below to purchase tickets:

100% of the proceeds from these two events will go directly to SAMFund programs in the upcoming year, including our ever-expanding grants program, Survivors' Network program and our brand new Webinar series. For more info on what we do and why, visit our website: http://www.thesamfund.org.

Thanks in advance for your support - hope to see you next month in NYC!

Help Make This a September to Remember!

2011-09-19T12:11:00.005-04:00

As you may have seen on Facebook recently, we've gotten some pretty exciting updates from our SAMFund alums this week!

First, we heard from Blake and Megan, who became parents two weeks ago when Ellie was born! Blake received a grant from The SAMFund last year to help with the exorbitant costs of family-building after cancer treatment. Reading this email from him was absolutely one of the Best. Moments. Ever:

"Thank you to The SAMFund for all your help in making our dream of parenthood a reality. We are so thrilled to be able to share this news with you, and grateful for what you've done for us and so many others in our circumstances."

Then, this morning, we came into the office to read this one, from Angela:

"I am eternally thankful for your organization. Without the 2 months of mortgage that I received from The SAMFund, we probably would have defaulted on the house & would be in the process of repossession. That large act of kindness took the burden of worry off my shoulders & allowed me to focus on getting well enough to "Survive And Move Forward." I will be asking for donations to support The SAMFund because my company asks that I participate in giving back & I know the donations will be well distributed. Thank you again for choosing me as a recipient."

Getting updates like these, and knowing that our grants program really does make a difference in people's lives, is what fuels our determination to keep getting bigger and better!

And that, dear blog followers, is where you come in.

For the last two weeks of September, we will be running our first-ever GRANTS campaign on Crowdrise. (You know how much we love acronyms...this one stands for Give Relief & Assistance Now to Ten Survivors!) In a few short weeks, our Board will be deciding how much we can give out this year -- and they'll be looking at how much we raised last year as well as this first quarter. This campaign is an all-out effort to raise as much as we can before September 30th, so that we can award even more grants to amazing young adult survivors like Blake and Angela this fall.

We've set a goal of $15,000, which would enable us to award ten (and maybe more!) additional grants this year. These grants will help survivors continue their health insurance coverage, take their prescription meds each month, live in their homes, start families, and regain their overall health, strength and wellness. This goal of $15,000 may seem lofty, but with everyone's help we know we can reach it!

Our grants program is the only one of its kind in the country. This year, we received close to 600 applications and our reviewers are now hard at work reading the ones that made it through to Part II. We want to be able to say yes to as many of them as possible, so please help by making a tax-deductible donation and/or sharing the GRANTS campaign with everyone you know!

Thank you so much, as always, for continuing to be part of The SAMFund community. You are every bit a part of these success stories as we are!

--Sam, Michelle, and everyone at The SAMFund

Update from The SAMFund's Alumni Leadership Council

2011-08-31T13:23:00.010-04:00

You may have seen references to the Alumni Leadership Council (ALC) on our Facebook page and blog and wondered what it is... We're super proud of this group and excited to tell you a little more about it! Below is a post written collaboratively by its four current members after last month's second annual retreat in Chicago. Enjoy!

Formed in 2010, the ALC is a committee made up of past SAMFund grant recipients, aimed at supporting The SAMFund on a national level. The committee's current members come from across the country, including Melanie from Nashville, Amelia from Los Angeles, Erin from Boston, and Kate from Chicago. We meet annually with Sam and Michelle, as well as via conference calls throughout the year. Everyone was thrilled to be together again in one room, making for an extremely successful couple of days.

We want to share with you a couple of exciting things in store for The SAMFund! First, this year we will be putting a lot of energy into expanding our Survivors’ Network program, a series of free activities and social events for the YA community which we currently have running in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and northern California. The goal of the Survivors’ Network is to connect YAs dealing with similar health and life issues and bring them together in a fun, activity-based setting. In the future, these events may include a financial component (e.g., advice from a financial planner/HR rep/job coach/other professional who knows more than we do about any number of things) to help young adult survivors continue to move onward and upward…more on that soon.

A Survivors’ Network page will be added to The SAMFund website along with new Facebook pages for each region of the country. We urge you to provide feedback (just email events AT thesamfund DOT org, or post below in the comments section) as to the types of events you would like to see in your hometown. Stay tuned to see if there will be a Survivors’ Network social gathering near you!

Another focus of this year's ALC retreat was volunteer engagement. With just two staff members right now, we know that it’s only through our volunteers that we’re able to get everything done! So, in the upcoming year, the ALC will lead the charge to stay in better contact with our current volunteers and reach out to new ones. Volunteers will be divided up by region (Northeast, Midwest, South and West) and each committee will be coordinated by an ALC member. Each committee will set goals for the year and will work together to achieve them, with support from SAMFund staff and Board members. We’re very excited about helping The SAMFund family to keep growing. We need YOUR help to maintain our presence and increase our impact in the cancer community. Please take a minute to fill out our short volunteer survey if you are interested in helping out!

In the upcoming months, each ALC member will be working on expanding The SAMFund website so that we can provide even more support around post-treatment financial and other issues. We'll be creating a more comprehensive list of resources and providing thorough answers to commonly asked questions, all specific to YAs. These resources will help YAs navigate the day-to-day financial realities of survivorship, including but not limited to health insurance, legal issues, Medicaid and Medicare, etc.

All in all, the ALC retreat was a huge success. Our next conference call will be held in a few weeks and we look forward to updating you again then!

Upcoming Webinar: Insurance Options for Young Adult Cancer Survivors

2011-08-15T10:39:00.008-04:00

As a young adult with a history of cancer, health insurance is *critical* -- however, finding it, getting it and keeping it is a different story altogether.

What do you do when COBRA coverage runs out, or when you age out of your parents' plan? How do you get around this whole "pre-existing condition" nonsense? Is there anyone out there who will cover someone who's had cancer? And if there is, will they and can they charge you more for monthly premiums because of your medical history?

The SAMFund is thrilled to partner with Joanna Morales, Esq., Director of the Cancer Legal Resource Center, to address these questions and provide information and resources in our FREE upcoming Webinar!

Please join us on Thursday, September 15th at 4 pm EST for the second in our Webinar series, "Moving Forward With Your Financial Health: Insurance Options for Young Adult Cancer Survivors." Sign up by clicking here:

And please don't forget to fill out our pre-Webinar survey (link is also on the registration page) -- we'll pass your questions and input on to Joanna so that we can make this Webinar as helpful and informative as possible!

The Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) is a national, joint program of the Disability Rights Legal Center and Loyola Law School Los Angeles. The CLRC provides free information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to cancer survivors, caregivers, health care professionals, employers, and others coping with cancer. The CLRC has a national, toll-free Telephone Assistance Line (866-THE-CLRC) where callers can receive free and confidential information about relevant laws and resources for their particular situation. Members of the CLRC's Professional Panel of attorneys, insurance agents, and accountants can provide additional assistance. For more info, visit https://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/about/cancerlegalresource.cfm

SAMFund Survivors' Network

2011-08-08T13:09:00.005-04:00

Hello to our faithful blog readers!

No, we haven't dropped off the face of the planet... between reviewing close to 600 applications for this year's grants (more on that soon!), starting a brand new fiscal year and planning the expansion of our Survivors' Network program and Webinar series, it's been a busy month! But we're back in the blogosphere and we promise to keep up with you more regularly from now on. There are many exciting things on the horizon for the upcoming year...

We want to give a shout out to everyone who joined us on Saturday for Kayaking on the Charles, a SAMFund Survivors' Network event in Boston. It was a beautiful day for paddling, and great to see some familiar and some new faces! Special thanks to Kyle for organizing the day, and to Charles River Kayak for helping us out with some of the cost. (P.S. No, that's not us in the picture - but we were just as happy to be kayaking as these smiley paddlers!)

The SAMFund Survivors' Network offers opportunities for members of the young adult survivor community - including those who have been diagnosed as well as their significant others, caregivers, friends and family members - to connect with one another, share experiences and have fun doing it. Events are usually activity-based (past events have included chili cook-offs, barbecues, karaoke, Wii/Rock Band, bowling and picnics) and are always free.

If you're a YA in the greater Boston area, join our Facebook group to stay up-to-date on upcoming events: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-SAMFund-Survivors-Network-Boston/151626534912887

Northern California YAs, join our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/TheSAMFUND.NorCal

The SAMFund also hosts events in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago (Facebook groups will be created soon!), and would LOVE to bring the Survivors' Network to your area, too... let us know if you're interested in helping out by emailing events AT thesamfund DOT org.

What would YOU like to see for future Survivors' Network events? Let us know by posting your ideas here!

Help us end year #8 on a high note

2011-06-30T11:14:00.013-04:00

Hello everyone and happy pre-holiday-weekend-Thursday!

Today marks the end of The SAMFund's 8th fiscal year. Eight years. How did *that* happen?!

In 2003, when we created this organization, we had no idea what it would become in such a short time. To this day, I'm really proud that The SAMFund remains the only organization in the United States that provides direct financial and other assistance to young adults a) regardless of their diagnosis and b) regardless of where in the country they live.

In 8 years (actually 6, since we didn't start awarding grants until 2005), we've given out $600,000 to YAs from 48 states for things like medical bills, insurance premiums and prescription co-pays -- the expenses most often associated with cancer and its aftermath. But we've also given grants for those things most people never think of:

* Gym memberships, because YAs need and want to keep themselves healthy and strong, but very few have the $500-$1,000 to be able to do it.

* Family-building expenses, because most YAs with a history of cancer have to get a little creative when it comes to starting a family, but the price tag on IVF, adoption and other "non-traditional" methods is ridiculous.

* Rent/mortgage - many YAs who come to us for help are on the verge of being evicted and/or losing their independence by needing to move back in with their parents.

* Groceries, utilities and other everyday living expenses - things that most of us are lucky to take for granted, but that many YAs struggle with since they're also fielding phone calls from bill collectors and contending with stacks of medical bills. We've gotten applications from survivors who have to choose between food and keeping the lights on. Literally.

And the list goes on...

We know that young adults are able to get follow-up care because The SAMFund pays for their health insurance premiums. We know that they can take their medications as prescribed because we cover their co-pays. And we know that they are able to start families, keep their homes and further their educations because we provide the financial assistance that enables them to do so.

We also know that there are so many more young adults out there who need our help.

We opened the 2011 grants cycle a few short weeks ago, and so far (with almost one week still to go before the deadline), more than 1,100 survivors have started the application process. To put it in perspective, last year we got 660. And most of them came in on the last day.

So, on this last day of our fiscal year, we are asking for your help. Last fall, The SAMFund awarded $105,000 in grants. Please help us award even more by making a tax-deductible donation today.

As a small, grassroots organization, we keep our expenses low so that upwards of 90% of your donations goes directly to our programs. In light of recent charity scandals, one in particular, we're really proud of that number. If you ever wonder whether your support makes a difference, take a few minutes to watch our video. Or read the stories of 6 years of SAMFund alums on our website.

And if you're *still* not convinced, I want to share a letter that we recently received from Laura, a two-time grant recipient:

"I will never be able to thank you enough for all you have done for me in the past two years. You have done so much more than assist me financially -- you have welcomed me with open arms and hearts to a community that I never thought I would be fortunate enough to be a part of. I think that your gift is helping all of us touched by cancer realize and appreciate ours."

Thank you all, as always, for being part of The SAMFund community. On behalf of everyone at The SAMFund, I wish each of you a wonderful (early) holiday weekend!

Sam

Biggest day of the year

2011-06-08T08:46:00.009-04:00

Ok, folks... it's here... the biggest day of the year at The SAMFund. The day we plan for all year. The reason why The SAMFund was created and the program for which we are best known. The main purpose for all of the hours, days and months spent fundraising.

Yup -- today is the day the application cycle for our 2011 SAMFund grants opens!

Since 2005, we've awarded $600,000 in direct financial assistance to hundreds of young adult survivors across the country. Our grants and scholarships have helped them keep their homes, pay off medical and other debt, get back on their feet and just be able to breathe a little easier. This year, we're hoping to award at least another $100,000 (final number to be determined in the fall) and are anticipating more than a thousand applications. Whew.

As a member of the Livestrong Young Adult Alliance, we are part of an important and powerful collaboration of 150 or so organizations around the globe aimed at making life better for young adults with a history of cancer. Each of the member organizations serves a unique and much-needed role in the cancer community, each one a smaller piece of the same larger puzzle. Within the Young Adult Alliance and the larger cancer world, our niche is our grants program.

What makes us unique (and I've been thinking about this a lot since I was recently asked this question for a possible magazine article...more on that soon, hopefully!) is that a) we are not diagnosis-specific and b) we try to award grants for those expenses no other organization does. As a small organization trying to meet an overwhelmingly huge need, and because we try to award grants that will make a meaningful and significant impact, our numbers aren't as huge as other, larger organizations. It can be really frustrating at times. But then we hear things like this, from our past SAMFund alums, and we know we are doing important work:

From Hailey: "The SAMFund's grant program helped me financially after my cancer treatment but most importantly it renewed my hope."

From Rachel: "SAMFund grants help us through rough patches in our lives after cancer has already beat down parts of us and help us to move on and upward!"

And from Meghan: "At a time when most people in our lives are happy we are 'done' with treatment, The SAMFund gave me the permission and the resources to take care of myself."

And this is why we're so excited that today begins the seventh annual grants and scholarships cycle. This is what we are known for and this is what we do best.

So... without further ado...

If you're a young adult survivor and thinking about submitting an application, please check out the recording from yesterday's Webinar, called SAMFund Grants 101, to hear the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our program and to get advice on submitting a strong application. Then, check our website today at 12:30pm EST, when Part I will be posted. We look forward to reading what we know will be your amazing stories of strength, perseverance and determination.

To everyone reading this, thanks for being part of The SAMFund throughout the year. Today is our day to shine -- and we hope you're as proud to be part of it as we are grateful to have you.

--Sam

P.S. If you're not a prospective applicant but would like to make a tax-deductible donation that will be used only for grants this year, you can do so here. Come on... you knew that was coming :)

Wrapping things up...

2011-06-01T10:34:00.018-04:00

As our very first Grand Plan campaign comes to a close, we are exceptionally grateful to everyone who has become part of this effort. Together, you have contributed over $9,000 to The SAMFund, every single penny of which will go directly to young adult survivors this fall. By helping to grow our online community, you have also raised awareness of the fact that cancer is not only physically, emotionally and spiritually draining, but that it is financially devastating as well (one of cancer's dirty little secrets).

Thanks to you, we will be able to provide help with living expenses, medical bills, prescription co-pays, insurance premiums and other expenses for at least 9 (and maybe more!) young adults who are struggling to get back on their feet after cancer treatment. The benefits, though, go far beyond just the financial assistance.

What we know from our past "alums" is that our grants provide them with invaluable breathing room and renewed confidence in their ability to move forward. Instead of feeling the pressure of ongoing expenses and drained savings accounts, they are able to focus their energy on staying healthy and strong.

Thank you for helping to provide these same opportunities for even more young adult survivors this year. We are so grateful and proud to have you as part of The SAMFund community.

P.S. The campaign page will be up until the end of today. If you haven't had a chance to donate, please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount, and help us reach our original goal of $10,000!

Assorted updates...

2011-05-25T10:18:00.007-04:00

Hellllloooooooooo friends! Sorry it's been awhile since our last blog post... as usual, too much going on and only two people to get it all done! But before too much more time went by, we wanted to give you a quick update on all that's been happening:

With one week to go in the Grand Plan campaign, we've raised over $7,770!! All money raised will go to grants for young adult survivors this fall. Every. Single. Penny. Please take a few minutes to peruse some of the pages, read the stories and make a donation if you can; many of the fundraisers (Julie, Angie, Cody, Damian, Nathan, Kate, Lauren, Sharon, Lyndsae, Laura, Jetty and Jennifer) are SAMFund alums. Talk about paying it forward!

In other fundraising news, we had a great time last weekend at Boston's Cornhole for Cancer Survivors event! Thanks to everyone who came and showed off their bean bag tossing prowess. Between ticket sales, donations and the silent auction, we raised close to $3,000! Huge thanks again to Mike and everyone at Boston Cornhole for donating their time to run the tournament. See you all next year!

And on a totally (well, mostly) unrelated note, Michelle and I were THRILLED to meet Blake and his wife Megan last week in Boston. Blake is one of our 2010 grant recipients - more on that soon - and emailed us over a month ago to say they'd be visiting Boston from California! We don't always get to meet our SAMFund alums in person, since they're scattered throughout the country... so needless to say this lunch date was on our calendar in big letters! By the time lunch was over, Megan and Blake felt like long-lost friends. If you're reading this, guys, please come back and visit again soon!

And speaking of alums and grants and fundraising and what we work so hard for throughout the year...

Our biggest piece of news is that we're gearing up to open our 2011 grants cycle in just a few short weeks! Michelle has been working hard with Lex, a very special, devoted, tech-savvy friend of The SAMFund who generously offered to revamp our application system and make it totally customized, more user-friendly and completely online! (Words can't begin to describe how grateful we are. It's kind of ridiculous.) It will be available on our website in mid-June - exact date to be announced soon - so stay tuned...

Thanks, as always, for being part of The SAMFund community!

Julie is Surviving And Moving Forward

2011-05-06T15:15:00.007-04:00

As you know (because we're obsessed with posting it and blogging about it and sharing it every which way we can think of), our brand new SAMFund video was finished last week!

We were really lucky to have received video clips from lots of SAMFund alumni, all of whom shared compelling, inspiring stories of moving forward. Although we weren't able to fit every single one into the final video, we're thrilled to be able to share them with you here.

Below is a clip from Julie, who received a grant from The SAMFund in 2007 for help with two months of her rent. So much has happened since then...

Julie is now ONE WEEK away from graduating from nursing school! She will soon be a Registered Nurse, and no doubt will be making a huge and meaningful difference in her patients' lives. She is also part of The SAMFund's Grand Plan to help other young adult survivors this year - check out her page when you have a minute and read more about her story.

We are proud to have Julie as part of The SAMFund family, and wish her lots of success as this next chapter of her life begins. And now, without further ado...

Have a great weekend, everybody!

The SAMFund's Grand Plan is underway!

2011-05-02T14:22:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update:

So far, 15 people have set up fundraising pages for The SAMFund Grand Plan! Money is being raised for health insurance premiums, rent and more. We've set a total goal of $25,000 over the next 30 days -- each person is trying to raise $1,000 towards this goal, and together we will make amazing things happen. Won't you join us?

Just click on "Fundraising for Entry" below, set up your page, and become part of this important effort to help young adult survivors this fall! And please feel free to email me (sam AT thesamfund DOT org) if you need more info or have questions.

Will YOU be part of The SAMFund's Grand Plan?

2011-04-29T14:20:00.012-04:00

It's been a big week for us at The SAMFund... First, we launched our brand new video. And now, we're launching a huge online campaign, called The SAMFund's Grand Plan: 30 Days to Raise $1K!

Simply put, the Grand Plan is about making a difference in someone else's life.

Since 2005, The SAMFund has awarded $600,000 in grants and scholarships to young adult survivors across the country. In June, we'll open the application process for the seventh year in a row -- and we are anticipating more applications than ever before.

From May 2nd to May 31st, people from all over the country will be raising money for The SAMFund. Every penny raised will go directly to young adult survivors who are trying to move forward with their lives after treatment. And here's the best part: YOU get to choose what it gets used for!

Here's the deal: our four most commonly funded categories are rent, health insurance, gym/yoga memberships and prescription co-pays. $1,000 could have a huge impact on any of these:

It could provide an extra month or two of rent to someone facing eviction;
It could ensure that a survivor can mantain critical health insurance coverage for three additional months;
It could give two young adults the opportunity to go to the gym/yoga for an entire year, so that they can keep up their physical strength and well-being; or
It could provide six months' worth of prescriptions for two grant recipients.

(We fund lots of other stuff as well, so if you'd rather pick a different category, that's an option, too.)

No matter how you look at it, $1,000 could mean a world of difference to a young adult who is struggling.

So, become part of our Grand Plan to help even more young adult survivors this fall. Go to http://www.thesamfund.stayclassy.org, set up your page, and engage your friends, family and colleagues in this important effort. If everyone reading this blog post raises just $1,000, imagine the possibilities...

The SAMFund proudly presents...

2011-04-26T14:16:00.006-04:00

Big news: our brand new SAMFund video is done! We are so ridiculously excited to share it with you. But first, a few thanks...

This video is the result of many months of hard work; it has, in all senses, been a labor of love. We are so very grateful to:

Bill and Elliot, two dedicated videographers who put a great deal of time and thought into making this a story of empowerment and possibility.
Matthew Larsen and The Documents, who provided the music from their recently released album, Apheresis. Matthew was the 2008 recipient of The SAMFund's Andrea Coller Memorial Award.
Danny, Jennifer, Tuere and Michelle, four of our SAMFund alumni who were willing to share their incredible stories in an honest, personal way, and Jetty, Brian, Bettina and Dominick, also alumni, who heard about this project, dusted off their webcams and participated long-distance.
All of our other alumni who sent in wonderful, compelling video clips. We wish we could have included every single one! We will be sharing them here on our blog and website in the coming weeks.

The final product is the best possible reflection of where The SAMFund is now, what we've worked for since 2003, and why our programs matter. Its message is clear: with just a little bit of help when they need it the most, young adult survivors are capable of achieving their greatest dreams.

So, without any further ado, I am proud to share our 2011 SAMFund video with each and every one of you in the blogosphere. Together with Bill and Elliot, I dedicate it to the memory of our friend Brian Gawlik, who was instrumental in creating our very first video almost seven years ago, and whose strength and creativity continues to inspire us all.

Thank you for continuing to be part of The SAMFund family.

NYACAW 2011

2011-04-04T14:10:00.008-04:00

To how many of you does this sound familiar?

You are a young adult: healthy, active, and invincible. (Two out of three is okay, too.)

One day, you notice a new pain, bump or bruise. You ignore it for a couple of weeks, but it doesn't go away. Maybe it even gets worse. Finally, it lingers long enough that you decide someone else needs to check it out.

So you go to your doctor and give a detailed account of what's going on. Five minutes later, the doctor sends you home with a prescription for a) a good night's sleep, b) a glass of wine, or c) some Tylenol, saying that "it's nothing" and "you're probably just overtired/working too hard/under a lot of pressure/imagining it."

Weeks, months or (hopefully not) a year later you find out that it wasn't in your head - you have cancer, and because the diagnosis has come so late you have fewer options for treatment and your prospects for long-term survival have dropped significantly. (Oh, and you'll also probably have to be out of work for awhile, so kiss your paycheck goodbye, and by the way you're about to be slammed with a stack of medical bills like nothing you've ever seen.)

Unfortunately, this story is all too common among young adults today.

Enter National Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week (NYACAW).

In 2002, Vital Options decided that it was important to raise awareness of the fact that young adults get cancer -- all types. NYACAW is one week out of the year, dedicated to reminding young adults that they are the ones who know their bodies best and it is important -- critical -- that they advocate for themselves. It's one week to let doctors know that yes, young adults *do* get cancer and no, it's *not* okay to dismiss them without listening to them. It's one week to inform young adults who have been diagnosed about the amazing network of organizations providing support and resources designed just for them.

It's about empowerment. It's about information. Most of all, it's about awareness.

There are more than 70,000 young adults in this country who are diagnosed with cancer each year. And yet, survival rates among this age group haven't improved in 25 years.

So, in honor of NYACAW 2011, let's not just talk about raising awareness -- let's actually do it. Show your support by posting the logo above on your Facebook page for a week. Share this video with your friends, your family members, your favorite medical professionals and everyone else you know. Make sure the young adults you know and love are taking care of themselves and speaking up when they think something isn't right. Volunteer with your favorite cancer organization or find a new one, and help them raise some extra money so that they can provide more support to more young adults this year.

If we're going to see improvements in survival rates, then we need earlier detection, more focused research and recognition that young adults are a unique segment of the population with a distinct set of needs. It's time to make sure the collective voice of the young adult cancer community is not only heard, but listened to. Together, we can effect change -- and we have a responsibility to make sure we do.

I can't end this post without a shout-out and heartfelt thanks to Selma Schimmel, founder of Vital Options (the first organization dedicated to young adults with cancer) and truly a pioneer of this movement, and to all of my friends and colleagues in the young adult cancer community. Thank you all for the work you do on a daily basis and for your unwavering commitment to making things better for the young adults who will be diagnosed in the future. I am inspired every day by you.

The music plays on...

2011-03-18T10:21:00.010-04:00

You may remember a post from a few months ago by Matthew Larsen, one of our grant recipients from 2008. At the time, the fifth anniversary of his stem cell transplant was approaching and he and his band were working hard on their first CD, Apheresis.

We have an exciting update from Matthew to share, but first, some background...

Back in 2007, we hosted a fundraiser here in Boston at the Paradise Lounge. We invited our talented friends Ethan, Jake and Dan of Pesky J. Nixon to perform, and asked if they knew of anyone else who would be willing to be part of the show. Enter Andrea Coller, a singer/songwriter from western Massachusetts. Simply put, she rocked the house. Her energy, the honesty in her music and her ridiculous talent made the evening even more special.

Her death in 2008 after her third battle with cancer left a huge void for everyone who knew her. It also impacted millions of people who didn't know her, but who knew her story; just days after she passed away, her winning essay was published in Glamour magazine, sharing with the world what it was like to deal with cancer as a young adult -- and to be pissed about it.

It took us all of about thirty seconds to decide that we needed to do something to honor her memory and ensure that her spirit would live on. Together with Andrea's friends and family, we established the Andrea Coller Memorial Award, and raised funds that would be awarded to a young adult survivor who embodied those same qualities that everyone loved about Andrea.

In his application, Matthew wrote about the important role music had played in his life, both before his diagnosis and during his treatment. He described the physical toll cancer took on his body and mind, and how he couldn't imagine how he would come out on the other side, let alone play the piano or sing again. After finishing treatments, he was blindsided by medical and other bills, and found himself struggling more than he could have anticipated. He wrote:

"My primary goal the past year or so has been to get out of financial debt. Because of this, music has taken a back seat to saving money and working hard. But there's always a part of me that knows how important music is, and how I crave the experience of writing songs, making a record, and performing live. I realize I need to focus more energy on my music again, and need to find a way to make a record. I've been in contact with recording studios and musicians, but it's financially out-of-reach for me while I focus on paying off my debt."

Andrea's family was involved in the decision-making process, and easily chose Matthew as the first recipient of this award; as a singer-songwriter from western Massachusetts, he not only had a lot in common with Andrea, but he had had an opportunity to meet and perform with her on several occasions. They felt strongly that his ability to pursue this life-goal -- and to create music that reflected his experience as a young adult with cancer -- would ensure that Andrea's spirit would live on.

We were incredibly excited to hear from Matthew last week that Apheresis is finished! We ordered our copy this morning and are listening to it right at this moment... and it is spectacular. Please click on the image at the bottom of the page to find out more about it, hear clips, read lyrics -- and then order a copy if you can.

To Andrea's family and friends, this CD is a tribute to her memory and a reminder that her music lives on. To everyone here at The SAMFund, it's also a powerful testament to what young adult survivors are capable of, with a little financial support. And to the rest of the world, it's an opportunity to listen to some great music and support a local artist, keeping Andrea's memory alive as you do it.

The SAMFund Webinar Series

2011-03-15T10:55:00.008-04:00

Too many bills coming in after cancer treatment.

Not nearly enough money coming in to pay them.

A financial recovery process that is almost as overwhelming as the physical and emotional ones.

The need for financial stability but few resources available to help you get from Point A to Point B.

You talked, we listened.

As you probably already know, last week we launched The SAMFund's newest program: a series of Webinars designed specifically for young adults facing financial challenges as a result of cancer. The first Webinar focused on regaining your financial health after cancer, and we were thrilled to have George Padula of Modera Wealth Management as our first presenter. He focused on setting goals, learning to budget and starting to think about longer-term financial stability. He offered many valuable tips and resources and had great advice on how to get started. Bottom line? Start now.

If you weren't able to attend, the Webinar is posted on our website: http://www.thesamfund.org/webinar/index.html

Thanks to everyone who participated! We hope you found it informative and helpful.

Our next Webinar (date TBD) will focus on reducing medical debt. What do you think?

P.S. If you do take a look at the Webinar, please take a few extra seconds to fill out the pre-Webinar survey and the post-Webinar survey (both links are on our website too) -- we need your feedback to make sure that these Webinars are as helpful to YOU as they can be!

Regaining your financial health post-cancer

2011-02-16T15:16:00.007-05:00

We all know that cancer takes it toll on us physically, mentally, emotionally and socially... but what many people don't know is that it also wreaks havoc on our finances. It's sort of a dirty little secret: cancer is really freaking expensive.

For the past six years, The SAMFund has provided direct financial assistance to young adults to help them get back on their feet after treatment. However, each year the number of requests increases exponentially, and over the past year we've tried to figure out a way to help even more people, and to do so throughout the year. We know that your bills can't wait for our application process to be open!

So, we're excited to announce that we're launching a new program, thanks to a grant from Pfizer - a free Webinar series designed to provide concrete, reliable advice and information about the unique financial struggles faced by young adults as a result of cancer and its treatment. We've partnered with some amazing financial professionals who will be sharing their expertise with participants and giving them the tools and resources to improve their financial situations.

Our first Webinar will be on Wednesday, March 9th at 4 pm EST. We're excited to welcome George Padula, a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Financial Analyst from Modera Wealth Management, as our first presenter. I presented with him last year at a BMT conference, and this guy *gets* it. He knows that young adults can't start thinking about long-term investments or even retirement planning when many barely have enough money to make the monthly bills. He also knows that many young adults face overdue credit card bills, increasing medical debt and ongoing expenses, with pretty limited savings and other resources to pull from.

The upside is that he also has some really good ideas as to how to get from Point A to Point B, when Point A is overwhelming and Point B seems so out of reach. He has great advice on setting short-term financial goals, figuring out how to budget, and eventually becoming comfortable enough to start thinking about longer-term goals like retirement savings.

So please join us on Wednesday, March 9th for the first of our Webinar series, Moving Forward With Your Financial Health, Part I: Regaining Control of Your Finances Post-Cancer. Here's the link to register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/352685174.

Know someone who might benefit from the Webinar? Please pass the link on to them as well. We've got plenty of room!

(Don't worry if you can't make it... it will be recorded and made available on our website after March 9th!)

Moving Forward: Starting a New Job After Cancer

2011-02-03T15:43:00.008-05:00

This week, please welcome guest blogger Laura D, one of our 2010 grant recipients, who discusses the challenges of employment and survivorship.

After I finished radiation treatment I didn’t want anything to do with cancer. I didn’t want to be a cancer survivor, I didn’t want to identify with other cancer patients and I didn’t want cancer to be a part of who I was. In short, I wanted to forget cancer. I thought I could put cancer behind me and live the life I had before.

And I did, for awhile. But then a routine cat scan revealed "areas of change"-- dreaded words for a cancer survivor. My doctor scheduled MRIs and other appointments for the very next day. I hadn’t mentioned to my new employer that I had had cancer, and had scheduled all of my appointments on days off so I wouldn’t have to take personal time from work. But now I needed to take time off. I had to call my bosses and colleagues and explain. Everyone was shocked. “Why hadn’t you told us?” they asked. Suddenly, people I saw every day knew not only that I had once been sick, but they thought that I was again.

Further tests showed that the “change” was caused by the radiation treatment which is a fairly typical result, but still needs to be watched. I was immensely relieved. However, when I returned to work, I was also embarrassed. I felt like I had been living a lie and I knew I had taken everyone by surprise. No one ever said it, but they may have thought I hadn’t trusted them or that I didn’t value our relationships. I didn’t have the words to explain that it was my issue and that I was the one who couldn’t talk about cancer. I was the one who couldn’t admit, even to myself, that this was my life.

As I prepare to graduate from my Masters in Social Work program this May, I am beginning to look for a new job, and I am re-thinking how to let an employer know who I really am. Cancer is a hard thing to talk about. I know that an employer can’t discriminate against a cancer patient, but I’m fearful. Between me and another equally competent hire, won’t they think twice about hiring someone who will need time off for appointments and who may get sick again?

Mentioning health in an interview doesn’t seem like a good idea, and yet I know that waiting is a bad idea too. My husband suggests telling an employer during the first thirty days, which sounds good in theory. What moment is right, though? Is it something I should just casually mention, or do I request a formal meeting? Do I tell human resources or do I just tell the team I work with? And how do I avoid becoming, “that lady, you know, the cancer patient?” Cancer doesn’t define me; it’s just one small part of who I have become.

Have you started a new job since cancer? How have you told your bosses and your colleagues?

For more information about employment issues and regulations, as well as additional resources, check out Memorial Sloan-Kettering's website: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/92614.cfm.