March 10, 2010
Check out The Huffington Post’s latest coverage of our CancerCare for Kids fundraising event, Cupcakes for a Cause!
The article, written by CancerCare Director of Corporate Relations Christina Wyman, details the event’s history, which began in New York City in 2004. What was initially just 12 local bakeries donating the proceeds from selling cupcakes adorned with the CancerCare logo has now evolved into a national campaign, with over 365 bakeries participating in 2009.
CancerCare for Kids was created to address the special needs and concerns of children and adolescents who are coping with cancer. CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers help families navigate the often complex issues they face when coping with a cancer diagnosis though age-appropriate counseling, therapeutic recreational activities, educational materials, and financial assistance.
Here are just a few ways that you can help support Cupcakes for a Cause:
- Download a bake sale kit and host your own bake sale, and donate the proceeds to CancerCare for Kids
- Create virtual e-Cupcakes and sending them to friends and family. Last year, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM® donated $1 per e-Cupcake for the first 5,000 sent.
- Purchase Cupcakes in Bloom, non-edible cupcakes provided by 1-800-FLOWERS. Last September, 10% of net proceeds from the sales of these cupcake-shaped floral arrangements went to support our CancerCare for Kids program.
The Huff Post’s Tammy Tibbetts also writes about the cupcakes for charity trend and mentions CancerCare’s campaign. Read Tammy’s article.
The 2010 Cupcakes for a Cause Week will take place September 20-26, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please visit our Cupcakes for a Cause website for more information. To learn more about our specialized services for children and families facing cancer, visit CancerCare for Kids or call 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).
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CancerCare for Kids, Coping with Cancer, Young Adults | Tagged: cancer and the family, CancerCare for Kids, coping, Events, Young Adults | 
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
December 14, 2009
In a recent posting to the New York Times health blog “Well,” oncology nurse Theresa Brown relates her experiences in helping two patients shave their heads when the gradual hair loss from chemotherapy became intolerable.
The stories she shares reveal, in her words, “how difficult it can be to lose your hair as a by-product of saving your own life.” Of course, each patient reacts to treatment-related hair loss in their own personal way, as reader’s comments on the blog illustrate:
“I had chemo last year and loved being bald. My son and I went together to have our heads shaved and our local paper made a video of it,” says one woman. Another writes, “I lost my hair twice due to different treatment regimens and each time there were emotions associated that I did not expect.”
CancerCare social workers offer the following tips to individuals coping with hair loss:
- Buy a wig before all of your hair falls out. This way, you will have a good match to your own hair color.
- Get a professional fitting. There are full-service wig salons that fit and style wigs.
- Find out if your health insurance company covers the cost of wigs. If so, remember to save your receipt.
For additional tips, read CancerCare’s fact sheet, “Tips for Managing Hair Loss.”
One commentator to the “Well” blog offers the following helpful advice to parents with cancer who are contemplating going bald:
“Parents with school aged children should talk to their kids and set expectations with them. Our kids were fine with their Mom being bald AT HOME, but when she was at school they requested that she wear a wig so she would look normal.”
Do you have some tips of your own? We invite you to share them with our readers by leaving a comment on this page.
Leave a Comment » | Coping with Cancer, Treatment Side Effects | Tagged: coping, depression, psychological impact of cancer, side effects, stress, Women's Cancers, Young Adults | Permalink
Posted by Monica Cavazos Mendez
