Kylie Barber is a Senior at Central Michigan Univeristy. In the summer of 2019, she will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 70-day, 4000+ mile ride from Baltimore to Seattle, raising money and awareness for the Ulman Foundation.

What is your connection to the cancer community?

My grandmas on both sides of my family have been affected by cancer and thankfully are both survivors. I also have had an Uncle pass away on my mom's side from colon cancer. These are just a few people in my family that have been affected by cancer, but the list is endless when I include close friends and members of Lake Orion, MI that know individuals that have battled cancer.

Being apart of the 4K community has definitely brought me closer to the cancer community in numerous ways. Hearing stories from my teammates, people we met along our journey, and the stories shared with us by Ulman were sometimes so hard to listen to, but my teammates and I knew we were doing the best we could to try and help as many people we could.

Talking about cancer and how people deal with cancer can be different among everyone and very hard to deal with, but what I have learned through this experience is to not keep your feelings all bottled up inside and that it is okay to talk about even if it may be hard.

Why are you traveling 4,000 miles this summer with the Ulman Foundation?

Participating in the 4K on Team Baltimore in 2017 had a huge impact on me and I can honestly say it changed my life. This was the first time in my life where I felt I was truly making an impact on an issue that almost everyone I know has some sort of connection to.

The most rewarding feeling was dedicating miles to those who have fought, continue to fight, or have survived cancer. Showing our support for multiple individuals by writing names on our legs, sharing stories with our teammates, and letting that individual know on their day of dedication is something I never knew could be so powerful.

After I finished the run, I never realized how much my 4K experience would come up in conversation with different people at the most random times. People would always ask me if I would do it again and at first my answer was always no, but as I saw individuals crossing the finish line in 2018, my heart was itching to do it again. I have searched for other opportunities online to see what I could find, but nothing quite compares to 4K.

Although I have went through 4K once, I know that the bike trip is going to be completely different and personally more challenging for myself. The farthest I have biked is 40 miles on a very flat trail and on average during this bike trip each individual will be biking 50 to 120 miles a day for 70 days.

I am ready for the work cut out for me and am excited to be putting my passion and energy into training and fundraising for an organization that I have fallen in love with and have seen make a difference in the young adult cancer community.

2019 marks the 18th 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 Foundation (Ulman). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner a at www.4kforcancer.org! 

CHALLENGE:

Over 72,000 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:

Ulman Foundation changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, Ulman 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.

Ulman House - This year Ulman will open 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!