February 2021 Newsletter
February 2021
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.
Welcome to our team, Jonathan!
Jonathan Rowlands has joined our team as our Development Coordinator. He will be planning & executing events as well as maintaining and establishing relationships with friends of C.U.R.E. He joins us with experience in the nonprofit world as well as the retail world. Please join us in welcoming him to our team!
Thank you for all the well wishes and warm welcoming on Facebook to the C.U.R.E. family. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for any reason. I am excited to help with C.U.R.E’s mission and familiarize myself with all of our families and supporters. You inspire me!
-Jonathan
Come join our Team!
We have one 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.
Interested? Email Holly (holly.dutcher@curekidscancer.com)
Spotlight on: Calvin
Meet our friend, Calvin!
Calvin is the only Child of Calvin and Juvylesa and lives in Palmyra NY. He is a very funny, creative and smart little dude. At the age of 15 months old, he knew all the colors and shapes! He loves to play on the playground and ride his own lawn mower. He loves to go to his Daycare, play with his friends and teachers. As a family, we’re always going camping, sight-seeing in the woods and playing in the park. Sometimes we go fishing together. He caught his first Brown Trout fish at Powder Mill Park last Spring season and on his Dad’s Birthday, May 8! We’re always busy outside if the weather is good. But last November 9th, suddenly he started not feeling well. After his surgery, we found out he has Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Thanks to all Doctors, Nurses and all Health Care Workers in Golisano Children’s Hospital, Calvin is now feeling better. Two rounds of Chemo are done!
We are looking forward to better days ahead.
Free Programming for Families:
Spotlight on:
Voyage Bead Program
Our Voyage Bead Program is free of charge for our C.U.R.E. Families. Both C.U.R.E. Kids AND C.U.R.E. Sibs (Siblings) can participate! Information about the program can be found below (along with some really great Voyage Bead necklaces for you to check out). If you are a C.U.R.E. Family and would like to participate, please email Michelle (michelle.magin@curekidscanccer.com) to get set up!
Parents & Caregivers of Kids off Treatment or Coming Off Treatment Soon
Please join us for a Zoom Gathering.
Meet other parents, chat with Michelle, ask questions.
If you are interested in joining, Michelle will post a Zoom link in the CLOSED Parent to Parent Facebook Group. You can also send her an email by clicking here.
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.
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 to our friends from Uniting & Healing Through Hope of MC
We received these warm blankets, delivered by one of our brave members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, to give to our families. We are so thankful to live in a community that continues to think of others and make a difference!
Thank you to the Comfort Quilters Group for this donation of beautiful, handmade quilts!
This group has been incredibly generous and donated several special pieces to us to give to our C.U.R.E. Kiddos. Thank you for thinking of our children and keeping them warm!
Coming soon!
Lace Up your sneakers and get active as we go "virtually" anywhere with our Miles Apart But Always In Our Heart 5K & Fun Walk presented by Cornerstone Wealth Management! Proceeds benefit C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association; helping local families who are coping with childhood cancer or chronic blood disorders.
Watch all our social media channels for launch details.
If you are interested in running a Penny Drive in your school or place of work, just let us know! We will provide flyers and collection jugs. Email Jonathan with any questions.
We were the thankful recipients of some REALLY great Easter decor and items from Marshall’s and can’t wait for you to see what we have in store! Think Rae Dunn style Easter decor and baskets! Stay tuned for more info.
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
this Valentine’s Day!
Treat your special someone to something pretty this Valentine’s Day and give back to C.U.R.E. Families at the same time!
Check out some of our 'NEW" ARRIVALS including MADE IN ITALY GEMSTONE BRACELET COLLECTION!
We just added many new gemstone bracelets as well as many NEW Embrace the Difference® pieces.
Let kindness unite us, no matter our difference. We are all connected.
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
We are hoping for feedback from our Bereaved Parents Community.
Are there programs or services you would be interested in that C.U.R.E. may be able to offer to help support you and your family or to connect with other families?
Is there a safe, social activity you would like to participate in?
We would love some feedback and ideas.
This has been a particularly difficult and isolating year.
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Please send any messages and feedback to Holly Dutcher. Click me to email.
February Bereavement Group
Please join us for our bereavement group this month on Wednesday, February 3rd 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!
- 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
- Crafts for young adults and children
- Facial Cleansing Wipes and body wash
- Items for teens or young adults
- Fabric Markers
-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)
We ask that all items be new and recently purchased. Thank you!