Das Neueste von Ukandu

This is a More Than Medicine Installment

A little over a week ago, we welcomed Friends of the Ukandu Family from near and far to the Ukandu Family Reunion. Some have been part of Ukandu for decades. Others are just beginning to discover what this community can mean. There were familiar faces, first-time visitors, and people whose paths might never have crossed were it not for a childhood cancer diagnosis.

It was loud. It was joyful. It was wonderfully, beautifully human.

And it was exactly what The Loft was built for.

Vor vielen Jahren schrieb Emily Perl Kingsley Welcome to Holland, einen Essay darüber, sich auf eine Reise vorzubereiten und dann zu entdecken, dass das Leben dich an einen ganz anderen Ort geführt hat. Du hast Italien geplant. Du hast dir vorgestellt, wie es dort aussehen würde. Du hast dich vorbereitet. Du hast die Orte gesehen, an die du gehen würdest, und die Erlebnisse, die du haben würdest. Und dann landet das Flugzeug woanders.

Ich habe über diese Metapher im Laufe der Jahre oft nachgedacht, während ich neben Familien saß, deren Leben durch Kinderkrebs verändert wurde.

As I walked through The Loft surrounded by families, friends, partners, supporters, and people who have helped imagine this place into existence, I was struck by something one of our parents, Julia Thompson, said in remarks to commemorate the day:

The audacity.

The audacity of Ukandu to believe families affected by childhood cancer deserve something this extraordinary.

Throughout Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re sharing stories about what childhood cancer asks of children and families—not only during treatment, but long after it ends.

This week, we turn to what comes after treatment—and why the word “survivor”, while worthy of celebration, doesn’t always tell the whole story.

A More Than Medicine Installment

For families affected by childhood cancer or another serious medical condition, "back to school" can mean something entirely different. School may not look the way it once did. For families affected by childhood cancer or another serious medical condition, "back to school" can mean something entirely different. School may not look the way it once did.

A More Than Medicine Installment

For families affected by childhood cancer or another serious medical condition, "back to school" can mean something entirely different. School may not look the way it once did. For families affected by childhood cancer or another serious medical condition, "back to school" can mean something entirely different. School may not look the way it once did.

Eine Folge von More Than Medicine

Es war mein erstes Ukandu Family Camp.

Monatelang hatte ich Menschen mit einer Art Ehrfurcht davon sprechen hören, die schwer zu erklären war. Familien zählten die Tage bis zum Camp. Freiwillige lächelten, wenn sie darüber sprachen. Kolleginnen und Kollegen sagten einfach: „Du wirst es verstehen, sobald du dort bist.“

Sie hatten recht.

A More Than Medicine Installment

June is National Men's Mental Health Month.

Like many men, I'm pretty good at convincing myself that things can wait. A nagging symptom? Probably nothing. Stress building up? I'll deal with it later. Something doesn't feel quite right? Let's give it a few more weeks and see what happens.

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Eine Folge von More Than Medicine

Im Camp Ukandu geschieht etwas Außergewöhnliches.

Für eine besondere Woche, an einem ganz besonderen Ort, dürfen die Dinge, die alle zusammengeführt haben (die Diagnosen, die Behandlungen, die Verluste, die Scans, die Narben), für eine Weile ruhen.

Und Menschen dürfen einfach miteinander Mensch sein.