Alissa Walsh is a graduate of Christopher Newport University. In the summer of 2018, she will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 70-day, 4000+ mile ride from Baltimore, MD to San Francisco, CA, raising money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

What is your connection to the cancer community?

We live in a world where very few people can say that they have had no connections to cancer. If you do not personally know someone who has had cancer, you certainly know a friend or family member who has had someone close to them impacted by this disease. I was first introduced to cancer when my grandfather was diagnosed with, and eventually passed from, lung cancer. Following this I watched my grandmother beat skin and bladder cancer and my great aunt beat breast cancer. My grandmother's best friend also fought breast cancer for seven years before losing her fight. She was the one who helped my parents name me and is the greatest impact on my love for wildlife and the environment. While attending college eight hours away from the town I grew up in, I found a home in Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity, dedicating my time to our philanthropy Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. My greatest connection to cancer in young adults, however, is my cousin, Zippy, who not only beat stage 3a Hodgkin's Lymphoma, but two years later also beat Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Diffused Large B-Cell Lymphoma. His family continues to inspire me with the development of a cancer fund of their own. "What Cancer Cannot Do. Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple love. It cannot shatter hope. It cannot corrode faith. It cannot destroy peace. It cannot kill friendship. It cannot suppress memories. It cannot silence courage. It cannot invade the soul. It cannot steal eternal life. It cannot conquer the spirit."

Why are you traveling over 4000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?

I will be traveling 4,000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults to make an impact in the lives of young adults battling this disease, knowing in turn they will have also impacted mine. The 4k team requires very similar qualities to the cancer community. We climb mountains, we conquer the long roads that lie ahead, we are strong, we are resilient, and we are not alone. By joining the 4k for Cancer team, I will be able to spread awareness, support, and fundraise for young adults who are facing cancer. Toughness is in the soul and the spirit, not in the muscles, and I intended to remind everyone I meet along my journey of this.

2018 marks the 17th year of the 4K for Cancer sending young adults on journeys across the country in an effort to inspire hope and unite communities in the fight against cancer. The 4K for Cancer is a program of The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner a at www.4kforcancer.org! 

CHALLENGE:

Over 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer every year. Young adults (ages 15-39) face a variety of unique challenges with a cancer diagnosis including fertility preservation, social isolation, lack of insurance, delayed diagnosis, and more. 

SOLUTION:

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, the Ulman Cancer Fund is able to provide free support services and resources for the young adult cancer community including:

Cancer to 5K - a 12-week training program designed to introduce or reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.

Patient Navigation - a free program (onsite at cancer centers and remotely through our office) that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone. We provide one-on-one support & resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer experience and long-term cancer survival.

Scholarships - a financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.

UCF House - This year UCF broke ground on a “home away from home” to provide free housing for young adult cancer patients, and their caregivers, in East Baltimore. 

Your donation will help make these programs and our mission possible!