The Oncofertility Consortium often partners with Stupid Cancer, a non-profit organization that empowers young adults affected by cancer through innovative programs and services, to ensure that the needs of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer community are prevalent in the scientific community. Young adults account for 72,000 new diagnoses each year, or roughly 10% of the cancer population. AYA cancer patients face a variety of hurdles along their medical journeys. While survival rates for young children and elderly cancer patients increased over the past few decades, rates for 15 to 40 year-olds are unchanged.
This year, Stupid Cancer founder, Matthew Zachary, will be a featured speaker at the 2012 Oncofertility Conference, highlighting the special needs of the AYA cancer community. Not only will he be speaking at the conference, but he will also be performing a piano concerto at our cocktail event, An Evening for Pediatric and Young Adult Cancer Survivors, Thursday, September 27th, at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. We are so excited to have Stupid Cancer take an active role in the conference this year because of their incredible ability to connect young cancer patients with a support network that they may not have known about otherwise. One of the more popular networking events that Stupid Cancer hosts across the country are informal “Happy Hours,” to promote its mission and provide entertainment to young cancer patients. These kinds of events connect patients undergoing treatment, those in remission, and healthcare professionals in a continuing effort to ensure that young cancer patients get the best support possible.
Fortunately for Chicagoans, Stupid Cancer is partnering with Imerman Angels, an organization that matches and individually pairs a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer, to host a Happy Hour on Thursday, September 27th from 7-9pm at Moe’s Cantina following the Oncofertility Conference. In the words of Stupid Cancer, “Come out for a different kind of social mixer with no pressure, no judgments, no stigma and—best of all—no sitting around a circle sharing your feelings. Chill out, make friends and hang with folks who don’t care if you have one boob, one ball, port scars or a serious lack of eyebrows.” For more details, visit Stupid Cancer Chicago Happy Hour or click here to register for the 2012 Oncofertility Conference. We hope to see you there!