Chelsea is a graduate of Simmons College. In the summer of 2017, 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?

Unfortunately, it seems to be difficult for anyone nowadays not to have a connection, in one way or another, to cancer. The first person I met who had cancer was my Grandma Elsie who had passed away in 1997 before I was even old enough to make a connection with her. But as I grew up, as we all do, cancer was something that became more prevalent.  It may not have been anymore of my direct family members, but it was more distant relatives and friends who had loved ones that were fighting the hard won battle. While cancer never directly affected me witnessing how it affects others changed my perspective. Cancer, for anyone, no matter how early or late it is caught is frightening. Creating a support system is vital not only to help the patient fight through their difficult journey, but also help those who are giving anything and everything they have to make a patient as happy as possible.  Being a part of the support system is the least that anyone can do, and is what I aspire to do.

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

I want to become a 4K rider and bike 4,000 miles to learn more about myself. Bike riding has been a place for me to escape from the real world whether I am at home in Connecticut biking through the trials, or biking along the Charles River during HOCR or even biking to work from Somerville to Lexington, all of these moments are times when I feel relaxed. So, naturally biking 50 or more miles a day for three months peaks my interest, however there is more to being a 4K rider than biking. You aren’t biking alone across the country, you have a team that supports, motivates and teaches each other. We are together to gain experiences no matter what they may be, but it is also important for us to think of those we are sharing these experiences with. There is more to being on this cross-country team than each other, it’s about sharing our support with those who need help and hope in their fight against cancer. While I like to think I know a fair amount, I also believe that I have a lot to learn and I think that being a 4K rider will be a step to gaining more knowledge and experiences in my journey.

2017 marks the 16th 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 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!