January 2021 Newsletter
Welcome to the NEW YEAR!
C.U.R.E. is here.
From the day of diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond:
The support doesn’t stop when the treatment stops.
And we are so thankful for our friends who make our support possible.
The challenges that were presented throughout the COVID-19 crisis have certainly changed so many of our lives. COVID-19 is a threat worldwide, but all the while, children continue to be diagnosed with cancer, chronic blood disorders and brain tumors. We have seen local children relapse. Our community has mourned the loss of fifteen sweet souls. This has been both a year of triumph and of overwhelming sadness. We would like to celebrate our friends who completed treatment & rang the end of chemo bell. We continue to support our friends who were diagnosed this year or relapsed. And we will keep the memories of the angels in our hearts, while we continue to let their families know C.U.R.E. is here.
The support doesn’t stop when treatment stops.
We will continue moving forward, providing meaningful programming, spreading awareness & raising funds so we can help our families. We look forward to a new year full of hope and promise.
Thank you, Sara!
While 2020 has been full of uncertainty, there has been one constant: Sara's positivity & flexibility! In a year that was anything but normal, Sara was charged with the task of organizing fundraisers that were successful, safe and fun - no easy feat this year. Each event that Sara worked on turned out beautifully. Notice our social media graphics looking more cohesive and fresh? Sara's keen eye has been a welcome addition to our team.
As the new year begins, we are wishing Sara luck with her future endeavors. She is leaving C.U.R.E., but this is not goodbye. As a C.U.R.E. family, we hope to see you at future events!
Come join our Team!
We have two Part-Time Positions Available:
- Parent Advocate (Monday thru Wednesday, 7 hour shifts): Meets with families daily at Golisano Children’s Hospital in both outpatient clinic and inpatient.
- Program Coordinator (14 - 21 hours per week): Works in the C.U.R.E. office to plan free programming for families (including but not limited to Survivors’ Day, Holiday Party, Brick Laying Ceremony, Parents’ Night Out, Remembrance Service and more!)
Interested? Email Holly (holly.dutcher@curekidscancer.com)
Spotlight on Bentley:
Meet our friend, Bentley!
Bentley was diagnosed with AML on August 16, 2019. He was a trooper through five rounds of chemotherapy and completed his treatment. He was finally able to get back to a normal life. Bentley loves to run around , play nerf and loves pretending to be a WWE superstar. Unfortunately, he relapsed on September 6, 2020. This is not what we were expecting. Bentley went through two more rounds of chemotherapy and required a Bone Marrow Transplant. Bentley is currently admitted to the Wilmot Cancer Center and is rocking his transplant. He is the biggest Bills fan and you can often hear him yelling at the TV from outside his room. Bentley's strength and appreciation for his medical team is admirable. He currently is a virtual 1st grader. Bentley has made so many new friends along the way. Thank you to C.U.R.E. for the continued support. Also thank you to our family and friends who have supported us along this journey. #BentleyStrong
Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for a couple of volunteers to help us move furniture between our offices. Preferably during business hours (Monday thru Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM). We would like to move desks and big furniture around the office, but could use some help!
We are also looking for volunteers to organize our donations we have received over the holidays. Preferably during business hours ( Monday thru Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM).
Please email Michelle Elliott if you’re interested!
(accounting@curekidscancer.com)
Free Programming for Families:
We’ve got you covered!
C.U.R.E. has been gifted filtered and unfiltered cloth masks as well as surgical masks! We have child sized cloth masks and adult sized surgical and cloth. If our families are in need of masks, please contact us to arrange getting you some! Send us an email if you are in need: Click me to email.
Our friends at Golisano Children’s Hospital sent us this great Toolkit to help parents explain mask wearing to their kiddos. Check it out here.
Donate Blood!
Many of our children depend on blood transfusions and blood products in the course of their treatment. With the recent pandemic, blood drives have been halted. Our children are still in need of blood products. Please consider donating blood if you are well enough to. Visit redcrossblood.org to set up an appointment time. They are adhering to social distancing guidelines to fulfill the need.
YOU can help C.U.R.E. for FREE
1) Follow us on social media:
Facebook page: facebook.com/curekidscancerrochester
Instagram: @curekidscancer
Twitter: @curekidscancer_
(2) Write a review about C.U.R.E. on our Facebook Page
(3) Write a blog that can be shared on our website.
(4) Contact our Parent Advocate about doing a Facebook Live or Instagram Takeover
(5) “Like”, Share or comment on our posts on social media!
Imaginary Friend Society:
A cancer diagnosis is scary for anyone, but for a child it can be even scarier. They’re bombarded with terminology and procedures that are intimidating and unfamiliar. Things like radiation, hair loss, blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and surgery. Just to name a few.
That’s where the Imaginary Friend Society comes in: a cast of characters inspired by the imaginations of kids themselves. Through a series of 20 animated short films, our imaginary friends explain a wide range of complicated cancer topics in a way that kids can understand. Because the more they understand about their treatment, the less scary it will be. To learn more, click here.
GRYT Health connects patients and caregivers to others with shared experience and to information relevant to their journey.
Through the GRYT app, we’ve created a platform for people affected by cancer to connect to others with similar experiences, and to tailored information that helps our users become more aware of options specific to their needs or diagnosis – empowering them to make choices that are right for them.
Our community of patients, survivors, medical professionals, researchers and advocates across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide have participated in almost 1,000,000 interactions to date, inspiring people to live according to their own standards.
Trust from our community is paramount to our success and something we take very seriously. We never share any of our users’ information without their explicit permission. Unlike other apps, GRYT is the first social community that is funded, built, and run by patients and caregivers where users communicate anonymously in real-time and each person is 100% in charge of what happens with their data.
Clara Wang, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, is currently conducting a study on online educational resources for childhood cancer survivors. The purpose of the study is:
(1) to determine the sources of information the childhood cancer survivors and their family find most useful and use most often
(2) to determine the types of educational resources childhood cancer survivors find most beneficial.
The study recruits participants from childhood cancer survivors (or their siblings) who were diagnosed under the age of 19 and no more than 10 years post treatment. Participants are asked to fill out a 15-30 minute survey online. There is no compensation for participation in this study.
If you are a childhood cancer survivor or their family, please check out: THIS WEBSITE (Click Here) for more information and links to the surveys!
If you have any questions or concerns, please email: hci-research@andrew.cmu.edu.
Thank you!
For Fathers of Pediatric Oncology Patients:
This is a personal account of a father's struggle to try and save his son, Max, who suffered from two cancers. The author expresses his hopes, fears, and emotions during the illness, and the growing love that developed between them. He describes how it feels to be a parent of a cancer-stricken child and demonstrates the amazing endurance and courage of children undergoing cancer treatment.
Free to read as a digital download if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited -
– Click here to learn more
Thank you, Friends.
To our friends, near and far, who helped to make this an amazing holiday for our families, we thank you.
Anna’s Wish Foundation sponsored 28 families.
We connected 26 families with private sponsors (families & businesses from our community “adopted” these families. We collected Wish Lists and passed them along)
C.U.R.E. sponsored 16 families through the items purchased from our Amazon Wish List!
Thank you, Julianne’s Journey
A HUGE thank you to Shari Miller and the team of people who helped honor the memory of Julianne Miller this holiday season. We received a significant donation of toys & gift cards to support our families this holiday season. Thank you for thinking of C.U.R.E. and letting us be a part of honoring Julianne.
ESL, we thank you!!
We are thankful for our friends at ESL, who collected donations of toys for our children this holiday season. The donations helped us to make our families’ season bright.
Thank you, Santa’s Workshop for Hospitalized Children!
We were humbled to receive donations from our friends at Santa’s Workshop for Hospitalized Children! We received 212 books, toys and gifts as well as 142 new pieces of clothing! This group helps several organizations in our area and we are thrilled to be included! Thank you to Florence and her team of helpers.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Holiday Heroes Campaign!
Take a look at the beautiful spread here.
Mark your calendars for C.U.R.E. events!
The Support Doesn’t Stop When Treatment Stops…
Because of YOU and your kindness.
Support our mission year-round by becoming a C.U.R.E. Ambassador! A C.U.R.E. Ambassador is a donor who commits to our mission through a monthly donation of his/her choosing. Whatever level you are comfortable with makes a difference!
Click here to learn more.
Shop Embrace the Difference
Shopping is easy and meaningful with a gift from Embrace the Difference® and that each piece can financially support your organization!
Let kindness unite us no matter our differences!
Check out some of our 'NEW" ARRIVALS including MADE IN ITALY GEMSTONE BRACELET COLLECTION!
https://www.embracethedifference.org/collections/new-arrivals
Embrace the Difference® is available at ReedsJenss locations or shop safely
online at EmbraceTheDifference.org
C.U.R.E. + Astral Power
We have partnered with Astral Power to give our C.U.R.E. supporters access to renewable energy! The solar energy comes from the solar farm on Washington Street in Ogden. Once you sign up, your utility will automatically credit your utility bill for being a member, saving you a guaranteed 10% of your utility costs per year.
Signing up is easy:
(1) Call Rylea (585) 402-9313
or
(2) go to: https://www.astralpower.com/#signup
”How Did You Hear About Us” Select “Customer Referral” and enter “CURE” in “Referred By”
Get your C.U.R.E. Gear
Rock C.U.R.E. Elite Sport Socks!
These super comfortable and supportive sport socks are HERE! What a great way to show support for C.U.R.E. and small businesses, they are made in the USA! Rock them while you are working from home or out exercising. Sandal season is over, rock these cozy socks today!
It’s officially beanie season! Order your C.U.R.E. + Love Your Melon beanie today!
We have partnered with Love Your Melon to offer these EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED QUANTITY beanies! They’re one size fits most and super high quality! Support children battling cancer with your purchase: for every one hat purchased, Love Your Melon sends one to a child battling cancer!
Bereavement Corner
January Bereavement Group
Please join us for our bereavement group this month on Wednesday, January 6th via Zoom, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. Michelle Magin, C.U.R.E.’s Parent Advocate, Liz & Paul Conrow and Debra Zalar (bereaved parents), will be leading this meeting. Please check your email for the Zoom link or contact the C.U.R.E. office to receive it (staff@curekidscancer.com).
Wishlist Items Needed
We are so grateful to the community for all of the wonderful donations we receive throughout the year. We could not service all the families we do without this generous support. If you or a community group you belong to is looking for something to do for a charity, please consider donating items from C.U.R.E.’s wish list so that we can continue to provide for our families:
A cure for childhood cancer, blood diseases and brain tumors!
- Toys (Please look at our Amazon Wish Lists:
Under $20: https://a.co/hlW4hCO
$20 - 50: https://a.co/eHiQcV2
$50+: https://a.co/bVDujCy)
- Gift cards for Wegmans, Tops, Wal-Mart, Target and gas cards
- Gift cards for GrubHub, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Moe’s, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks
- Weighted blankets
- Essential oils
- Mini diffusers
- Heating pads
- Crafts for young adults and children
- Facial Cleansing Wipes and body wash
- Items for teens or young adults
- Legos
- Fabric Markers
We ask that all items be new and recently purchased. Thank you!