Relieve the Stress, Take a Free Trip

This is a guest post written by Greg Pierce. Greg is a 3x cancer survivor and community manager for WhatNext.com.

Everyone Needs a Break Sometimes
from the book
Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer...a hopeful, helpful book for kids
©2013McVicker & Hersh, LLC

Sometimes you just need to get away. Fortunately for people with cancer, there are ways that you can! Here are a four resources that you can research and use to relieve stress, take a trip, find free ways to travel, and make new connections with people who are also fighting cancer. 

1. The National Patient Travel Center (NPTC) is an organization that provides information to patients about charitable, long-distance medical transportation; NPTC provides referrals and helps patients get where they need to go for free. There is no charge for this service. To find more about free travel read this article on Free Flights for Cancer Patients.
2. First Descents is an organization that offers young adult cancer fighters and survivors a free outdoor adventure of their choice. First Descents empowers young adults to take back their life and spend time outdoors. Activities include surfing, rock climbing, and white water rafting. The only expense may be paying for transportation, but they are willing to assist you if need be.
3. Reel Recovery is a national non-profit organization that holds free fly-fishing retreats for men recovering from all forms of cancer with a mission to provide support through the healing powers of nature, sport, and close interaction with others who have similar journeys. Reel Recovery provides a safe and reflective environment, expert fly-fishing instruction, and information on cancer resources. The retreats facilitate networking, build empathy, and help men with cancer discover new insights from their peers. 
   
4. Casting for Recovery is an organization that provides weekend retreats for women with breast cancer at no cost. The women are given the opportunity to learn the sport of fly-fishing, interact with one another, network, gain empathy, and receive the therapeutic quality of the outdoors. The weekend retreats also use counseling, educational services, and have therapists and health care professionals present. To find more resources like Casting for Recovery read this article on 9 Valuable Resources for Cancer Patients. 

If you need help with travel expenses, need to relieve stress, or want to get away with other people of your same diagnosis, inquire about the resources above. Also, don’t be reluctant to plan your own personal trip with your family and friends. 

A lot of cancer survivors say that what helped them decompress the most was getting away, relaxing, and spending stress-free (and cancer-free!) time with loved ones. 

"the best book on this subject that she has seen yet"

Christiana Care Breast Center at The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center recently hosted a Fall Breast Festival. As part of this event, they generously made it possible that all of their patients and breast cancer survivors attending received a copy of our book Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer... a hopeful helpful book for kids.

The staff at
The Breast Center Festival at
Helen F. Graham Cancer Center
set my signing table with
beautiful flowers, butterly garland and festive felt butterflies on the table

This except is from a wonderful email that I received following my recent book signing at the Breast Center  

"My mother, Ellen, would like to donate a book to the Tower Hill School library.  

Ellen (or Meghan and Jack's Nana) is a 29 year breast cancer survivor.  Last week, she attended an event at the Helen Graham Breast Center of Christiana Care Hospital.  During the event, she was given a book called "Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings" signed by the illustrator Nanci Hersh.

My mother worked for years at the American Cancer Society in their Patient Services division.  She has realized that there is not a lot of information for young children when their parents are going through cancer.  It's a beautiful book for parents to read to their children...a resource about how to talk to a child about a parent's cancer diagnosis...the best book on this subject that she has seen yet!

She was delighted to have received this book and to be able to give it onto others."

Excerpts from an email from Christine, whose mom, Ellen attended the event.  

Thank you Ellen, and Christine for being a wonderful part of our Gift -it-Forward program!