The Roaring Twenties Purple Gala hosted on September 27, 2013 at Centurion Conference Center was an evening of glitz, glamour and jazz that attracted more than 330 business and community leaders, and raised over $25,000.00 for local blood cancer patients at the Ottawa Hospital.
This was the third edition of the Purple Gala – an annual, semi-formal event that raises both awareness and money for two Ottawa Hospital endowment funds – Little Angel’s and Supportive Strength Young Adult Blood Cancer Fund.
The event was co-organized by Sociology graduate student Vanessa Peck, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma four years ago, and fellow cancer survivor Marisa Gilbert. Through their own diagnosis and treatment, Marisa and Vanessa became aware that young adults face particular challenges navigating the health care system and accessing medically necessary care, resources and services. This realization led them to develop the Supportive Strength endowment fund in 2011.
The goal of the Supportive Strength – Young Adult Blood Cancer Fund is to provide financial support to young blood cancer patients in the Haematological Oncology units at the Ottawa Hospital. Despite vast improvements in recognizing survivorship services as essential components of care in Ontario, there continues to be a deficiency in understanding how cancer affects young adults. As a result, there is a lack of economic, social and cultural supports specifically for this patient group. The Supportive Strength fund aims to address some of these gaps.
Vanessa recently completed her MA thesis in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. Building upon recent research by the Canadian Cancer Society, the thesis explores the external forces that shape young women’s experiences of cancer and survivorship. The findings of her study are being used to help Haematology and Social Workers at the Ottawa Hospital identify what support services are most needed by young adults, and the Supportive Strength endowment fund will help to fund these services.
Beginning in January 2014, the Supportive Strength – Young Adult Blood Cancer Fund will focus on offsetting some of the costs associated with fertility preservation offered by Fertile Futures, covering the deductible for State funded Trillium health benefits and providing all young adults with care packages upon their diagnosis that are meant to offset some of the costs associated with cancer care.
While the goal of the Purple Galas is to raise money and awareness about blood cancers, Vanessa believes that the Supportive Strength endowment fund can make a further contribution. It can help to start new meaningful conversations about the need for more interdisciplinary, inclusive, and empathic approaches to cancer and survivorship care, while also shedding light on some of the unique, yet diversified needs of young adult cancer patients and survivors.
To donate, or to learn more about Supportive Strength, please visit: www.supportivestrength.org.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 in Grad Student Research, News
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