Tag Archives: cancer

Camps, Dedicated to the Cause, Health, Wisconsin

Summer Camps Help Kids Affected By Cancer

Summer is just around the corner and while both kids and parents anxiously await a much-needed vacation, there are a few others who need something more…a break from the heart-wrenching challenges they face every day as a result of a family member who is battling, or who may have lost the battle, with cancer.

Being a mom, there are things I constantly worry about. I worry about something happening to my kids daily, I worry about something happening to me or Alex all the time and hate to ever imagine my kids living a life without me or their dad or ever having to know cancer on a personal level. Unfortunately, there are children, every day, who learn about cancer at a very personal level, and at those times, I am happy to know there are places like Angel on My Shoulder available for them to enjoy to help ease that burden.

Angel On My Shoulder is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that has established a number of cost-free camps, both summer and year-round, that were designed to address the needs of young people whose lives have been affected by cancer through the illness or passing of a close family member (parent, sibling, or grandparent).

*New Campers get ready for a weekend of fun at Camp Angel*

Angel On My Shoulder weekend camps are funded through donations, so that everyone who wants to attend may do so. They provide kids with an opportunity to meet others like themselves in a well-supervised atmosphere of understanding.

“When a family is affected by cancer, the focus has to be on the patient. Too often though there are children who are also experiencing loss or confusion,” said Lolly Rose, founder of Angel On My Shoulder. “That’s where Angel On My Shoulder comes in. We’re helping these kids feel good and have fun with others they can relate to; to see their faces light up again is an amazing feeling.”

Angel On My Shoulder offers five different weekend camps for kids who have a close family member who is battling cancer.

Camp Angel is for kids ages 7-12
Camp Teen Angel is for teens ages 13-15
Camp Angel Adventures is for older teens ages 16-18
Camp Angel Adventures Extreme is for 16-18 year olds who want to experience more extreme activities
Camp Hozhoni, is a family camp for families with a child 18 or younger who has cancer.

*Darci Sullivan (far right) enjoys a wet and wild ride at Angel Adventures*

The purpose of the camps is to give kids the chance to meet other kids who are in the same situation and give them the opportunity to participate in activities tailored to their age group that will provide many happy memories.

Summer camps include swimming, kayaking, canoeing and fishing. Winter camps feature snowshoeing, ice fishing, dog-sledding and sleigh rides.

Angel On My Shoulder also sponsors two retreats for adults: Angel Care and Healing Angels. Angel Care is for Cancer Caregivers, and was created with the express purpose of giving cancer caregivers a respite from the often times grueling work of caring for a loved one with cancer. The retreats are held several times a year and provide activities such as yoga and discussion sessions to help these selfless individuals give back to themselves.

*Sharing sessions provide comfort to caregivers at Angel Care retreats*

Healing Angels is for cancer survivors who are in remission. The intent is to provide them with a weekend of mental, physical and spiritual healing that will contribute to their growing sense of well-being.

“I am constantly inspired by the people I meet through Angel On My Shoulder from donors and volunteers to those families whose lives we touch,” added Rose. “This community is quick to lend a hand and help one another and our organization is very thankful for that.”

Learn More

You can learn more about Angel on My Shoulder by watching the video below.

Volunteer

If you would like to learn more about Angel on My Shoulder and the volunteer opportunities available, please check out their website.

Gentle Reminders

Anne Younger Leave a comment

In light of recent events, I wanted to take a moment and get up on my soapbox and have a chat with all of you.

As you know, a woman who is very near and dear to my heart and family, was recently diagnosed with cancer. We don’t have all of the facts yet but what we do know if that it started as ovarian cancer. As you may know, ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women and it causes more deaths that any other type of female reproductive cancer.

I now have 2 friends in my life who have been diagnosed with this horrible disease after having skipped over their annual exam time and time and time again. One of my friends was lucky enough to have caught it before it spread any further, the other has not been so lucky.

I CANNOT stress enough the importance of an annual physical and exam. Also, for those of you who are older, be sure to get a mammogram and know your breast cancer facts as well.

So, check your calender and find out when your last exam was. If it has been more than 1 year, pick up the phone and make an appointment today!

Okay, I’m done yelling at you.

Thanks for listening!

Dedicated to the Cause

Words of Encouragement – Can You Please Help?

Anne Younger Leave a comment

Over the years, you have read things about my crazy best friend Natalie. Natalie and I have been friends for as long as we both remember. When my mom was younger, she babysat Natalie’s older brothers. As I grew up, Natalie became like a sister to me and her family is what I refer to as my second family, her parents are my other parents. To me, they are part of my family.

So….why am I seeking words of encouragement?
Natalie’s mom, Linda, the woman who has always been like another mom to me, the woman my kids call Grandma Linda….was diagnosed with cancer just over 2 weeks ago.
Last Monday she underwent major surgery to remove as much of the cancer as they could. After hearing everything the doctors did during her surgery, Linda has not been herself.
This cancer diagnosis is killing her before she has even had the chance to fight.
As of right now, we don’t know exactly how bad things are. What we do know is the cancer started as ovarian cancer and has spread to other organs but we are all hopeful she will beat this!

Now I have seen the power of prayer work in circumstances like these and I also know that words of encouragement from people in her life and complete strangers will help put her in the positive attitude that she needs.