Phi Beta Kappa members and their family and friends donated dozens of toys, just in time for the holiday season. The event also raised $400 for CancerCare for Kids.

CancerCare Director of Education and Training Carolyn Messner, DSW, suggested coordinating the toy drive during a recent Phi Beta Kappa chapter meeting.

Learn more about CancerCare for Kids.

[pictured above: CancerCare's Carolyn Messner [l] and Rosalie Canosa [r] showcase donated toys]

We mourn the loss of Elizabeth Edwards, who died on Dec. 7 from metastatic breast cancer at the age of 61.  An accomplished lawyer, political advisor and the wife of a former US senator (who was also a vice presidential candidate and, briefly, presidential candidate), Edwards will be remembered in part for the tragedies and personal struggles in her later years that played out so publicly and painfully on the national stage. More enduring, however, is the legacy of her courage and activism on behalf of all people facing cancer. 

Elizabeth Edwards was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, and was successfully treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But in 2007, her cancer returned and was found to have spread. Edwards described her diagnosis as treatable, but “no longer curable.”

Still, this did little to slow her down. She became an inspirational figure to anyone facing cancer, especially an advanced-stage diagnosis.  As the mother of an adult daughter and two young children, she was candid about discussing her diagnosis with them, and in numerous interviews with the press emphasized the importance of talking to children honestly and openly, in language they can understand, about cancer.

“I think the most important thing — and the younger the member of your family is, the more important it is — is that you be incredibly honest, even though you might be giving a grammar school explanation of something,” Edwards told WebMD in an interview last year. “At least when your children look back on what you said to them, they will know that you were honest with them.”

Elizabeth Edwards exemplified the resilience and spirit we at CancerCare see everyday in the individuals and families we serve. She was a true champion of people of all ages and from all walks of life who, like her, face cancer with courage and with hope, and live their lives accordingly.

She will be greatly missed.

**

 If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an advanced or recurring cancer, CancerCare recommends:

Communicate with your doctor. The question of prognosis, that is, how long one may have to live with advanced cancer, is one that some people want to ask and others do not. However, it may be possible for a doctor to provide information regarding a time frame that could be helpful in terms of decision-making regarding treatment choices, planning for future care, financial decisions and how to spend your time. Read more about practicing doctor/patient communication in the CancerCare publication, Communicating with your Health Care Team.

“Incurable” does not mean “untreatable.” There are treatments that can control or slow down cancer from growing or spreading to other parts of the body. In this way, a cancer that cannot currently be cured can still be treated.

Define hope and meaning for yourself. A recurrence of cancer requires that you define hope in a more varied and complex way. Recurrence is a time to revisit those decisions and more specifically think about the quality of your life and what that means to you. Most important is how your doctor, family, and friends can help you maintain what you define as quality living. Read more in the publication, Coping with Cancer: Tools to Help You Live. 

Talk openly with your children. Conversations about advanced cancer can feel particularly complicated where children are concerned. The best thing you can do for your children during this difficult time is to talk to them about your recurrence and their feelings. Learn more in our publication, Helping Children Understand Cancer: Talking to Your Kids About Your Diagnosis.

Team CancerCare L to R: Kyle Hornyak, Monica Cavazos Mendez, and Lindsay Osborn

The delicious and lavishly decorated cupcakes were generously catered by David Ziff Cooking, Inc.  

The bake sale was part of our ongoing Cupcakes for a Cause fundraiser benefiting CancerCare for Kids, a specialized program that provides free, professional support services designed to help children and parents deal with the emotional and practical concerns of a cancer diagnosis, whether it’s the child’s, the parent’s or that of another family member. 

You can support this vital program by hosting a bake sale of your own. It’s easy– simply download a free, easy to use toolkit from our website to get started. 

You can also visit a participating bakery and purchase a cupcake this week, with proceeds from the purchase benefiting CancerCare for Kids. We’ll even help you find a participating bakery near you.  

To learn more, visit www.cupcakesforacause.org.

It’s easy to show your support from now until September 26th—simply visit one of the more than 700 participating bakeries and purchase a cupcake.  A portion of proceeds from the sale will be donated to CancerCare for Kids. 

We’ll even help you find a bakery in your neighborhood!

To learn more, visit www.cupcakesforacause.org

You can help raise funds to support these free, vital services for kids and families by participating in CancerCare’s Cupcakes for a Cause^® fundraiser. Here’s how:

• During Cupcakes for a Cause Week, September 20-26,visit one of  over 700 participating bakeries across the U.S. and purchase a cupcake (or two!). Participating bakeries will donate a portion of the proceeds from cupcake sales to CancerCare. Find a bakery near you.
• Show your creativity by creating a free e-Cupcake to send to a loved one.  Our sponsor, göt2b, will donate $1 for every e-Cupcake sent in September, up to $10,000. Send one now!
• Host your own bake sale and donate the proceeds to CancerCare for Kids.  It’s easy—simply download a free toolkit, sponsored by göt2b, that provides tips on how to coordinate and promote your bake sale, along with ready-made flyers and signs. 

To learn more, visit www.cupcakesforacause.org

Join us on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) as CancerCare hosts a free Connect Education Workshop: Helping Teachers and Educators Support Siblings of Children with Cancer.

Featured speakers include Joan Fedota, EdD, LCSW, Assistant Dean of the National College of Education at National-Louis University; Melanie Goldish, Executive Director, SuperSibs!; Michelle Oddi, RN, BSN, Young Adult Sibling and Staff Nurse, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Jordan Sonnenblick, award-winning author of the sibling story, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie; and Julia Little, MSW, Project Coordinator, CancerCare for Kids.

You may also be interested in a podcast of Part 1 of this series, For Parents, Caregivers and Professionals: Helping Brothers and Sisters of Children with Cancer.