Know someone who’s healing from a cancer diagnosis? You might want to check out your local YMCA. LiveSTRONG and YMCAs have had a strong partnership since 2008. This partnership underscores important knowledge about healing from cancer: cancer patients need community support and healing cancer is a long-term process.
Riding past my local Y last week, I was glad to see this sign promoting the LiveSTRONG at the YMCA program. This program is “designed to help adult cancer survivors reclaim their total health.” Participants in the program meet twice a week “to regain their physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.” That’s why I love the idea of this program: there is an acknowledgment that cancer patients need to heal on a number of levels. Cancer affects every nook and cranny of a person’s life and LiveSTRONG at the YMCA aims to address a variety of challenges cancer patients face.
This 12-week program, offered at no cost, also benefits every family member of the cancer patient as it includes a complimentary membership for the entire family.
Printed material sums up this program:
Participants work with Y staff trained in supportive cancer care to safely achieve their goals such as building muscle mass and strength; increasing flexibility and endurance; and improving confidence and self-esteem. By focusing on the whole person and not the disease, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is helping people move beyond cancer in spirit, mind, and body.
Restoring strength and physical stamina is important; equally important is the need to restore self-confidence, address relationship issues, and stresses and life changes associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. If you know someone who could benefit from this program, please connect with your local Y or LIVESTRONG.
Reading your post Deb, I remember an advertisement that I used to see in my accountancy magazine many years ago that offered counselling to spouses of women suffering from breast cancer to help them cope. I thought it was a wonderful idea and I am glad to know that there are now programs where the entire family is helped. When 1 person falls sick with an illness that can turn terminal, it isn’t just their lives that are changed forever but the entire family’s and they all need support to help each other.
Lending a hand to the entire family when someone has a serious illness is, indeed, a great gift Vatsala. That element of this program is a powerful one. Adding focus to exercise and spirituality is key.
Deb,
I’m glad that the YMCA and LiveStrong are together in your neighborhood. We have several small organizations that work around here that offer family support services to help not only the cancer patients, but friends and loved ones that are also effected. I applaud anyone who can give time to aid those dealing with illness and sadness.
It seems to be a great partnership between the Y and LiveStrong – providing a valuable service for the cancer patient and their family. Glad to see it is being well received in so many parts of the country. AND – love that communities come together to help those in need where this program doesn’t exist.
So good you are bringing attention to this collaboration. It is so important for entire families to work together for health and healing. Just as there are many support groups for every issue, individuals & families must be willing to use the programs. They have to be open and ready.
This does seem to be a great partnership Roz. Moving cancer patients and their families forward – all goodness here!
This is a wonderful initiative and sounds like a very supportive partnership for LiveSTRONG and the YMCA. I am not sure if any of the Y’s (either the regular or the Jewish Y’s) are doing these kinds of programs, although it seems like a natural to have a program to help with the emotional as well as the physical aspects of healing from cancer. Thanks for sharing this information with us, Deb, and I hope many people are receiving great benefit from participating.
Seems to be a powerful partnership that benefits families in so many ways, Beverley. Glad to see this has been in place and hope it’s expanded.
We have fantastic organizations here as well. Lots of volunteers and understanding makes it much easier to cope emotionally.
Hi Deb,
What an awesome program!! Definately will bookmark your post so I can share 🙂 Thanks so much for the great share 🙂 It certainly will help so many!
Deb, Thank you for sharing this post. This reminds me of the team we had in place for our Mom when she was on her cancer journey. We had family, friends, loved ones and medical/clergy on our team. She was always surrounded with love, light and encouragement or a listening ear when she needed to just vent her anger and frustration at her illness. I’m not sure if any of our YMCA’s here have this program; though I feel it is important.
Healing and living with cancer affects all of a family. It great to the community acknowledging this.