Graham Carlson is a junior at Florida State University. In the summer of 2017 he will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 49 day, 4000+ mile run from San Francisco, CA to Baltimore, MD to raise funds and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. 

What is your connection to the cancer community?

Many people in my life have been affected by cancer although I have not been intimately involved in their process of coping and treatment because I was too young or too removed to really understand the gravity of the situation. I thank God every day for how far removed from these types of situations I have been, and while I am grateful for this shielding, I want to start to see how cancer actually affects people and their loved ones. Something that I have come to realize is just because I haven’t been personally affected by cancer, doesn’t mean I should not be involved in helping with that struggle. In fact it means quite the opposite; it means that I have a duty to get involved and help in any way that I can. I see 4K as a way that I can get meaningfully involved in the fight against cancer and actually help make a difference in people’s lives. I plan to become a doctor and the lessons that I will learn from this experience will make me a better doctor and able to care for my patients with even more compassion and understanding to more positively affect their lives. 

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

As a doctor, it is important to realize that sometimes the most helpful thing to do isn’t going to be a surgical procedure and modern medicine, but rather will be supporting the patient and making them more comfortable with the very uncomfortable thing that is taking place in their own body. I know that 4K for cancer will give me exposure to the patient aspect of healthcare and that is something that I will take with me throughout my life and keep in mind while dealing with patients in the future. Through this experience, with a compassionate and dedicated team of individuals, I believe I will gain a personal look at how cancer affects patients and their families, friends, and communities. 

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!