New Series Offers Support and Hope to Cancer Patients and Caregivers

It’s estimated that one in four people will develop cancer at some point in their life, and with that cancer diagnosis comes a lot of uncertainty.

There’s fear of the unknown, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. There’s concern over how to handle medical bills, take time off work, and basic everyday activities. There’s also much apprehension about how life will look going forward.

However, there can also be feelings of hopefulness, support, and understanding.

The series was created to fill a gap those at the Bakken Center knew existed. Molly Manko, who is the community relations program and event manager at the Bakken Center noted a donor who really wanted to make an impact on people helped fund the series. “She felt this type of program was a great opportunity to do that, and felt there was a gap for this kind of audience,” Manko explained. “We are very grateful for the funding this donor provided.”

There’s a sliding scale for pricing for those who take part in the series, so participants pay what they can afford and that includes the option of paying nothing. Since the series takes part over Zoom, there’s no restrictions on group sizes or a participant’s location.

“It’s a great supplement to the healthcare you are receiving, but from a very different prospective,” Manko said. She added that the facilitators of the series do an excellent job of meeting people where they are and providing useful, integrative tools that aren’t always shared in the typical medical environment. Manko said they are working with a number of healthcare organizations and providers to spread the word about the series to patients.

Participants in the first series were asked for their feedback to help facilitators fine-tune the course moving forward. One hundred percent of the respondents rated the series at least a four out of five - with five being that it exceeded expectations. Participants said that overall, the series made them feel hopeful, informed, supported, and understood. Many caregivers noted that caring for themselves was a new idea, something they had not considered important.

Voss said that people living with cancer, cancer predisposition, or other rare diseases and their family caregivers have unique wellbeing needs, and the series aligns with the Bakken Center’s goal to provide health and wellbeing for all. 

“Their risk of mental health diagnoses is much higher than that of the general population. Their disabilities may make certain programming inaccessible or unsafe to attend. The medical trauma they have endured and the secondary trauma their caregivers endure deserves special attention and trauma-informed delivery of wellbeing resources. That can be extremely challenging to find,” Voss said. “As experts in the wellbeing space, we knew with partnership and input from people with lived experience that we could make a difference. We could provide a service that might positively impact people who really need enhanced quality of life and wellbeing.”

Moving forward, the team hopes to teach skills to those living with cancer and their caregivers to help them find meaning, purpose, and the importance of relationships in their lives as they go about their journey, and offer them a place where they can be heard.

“They want to be seen as whole people who can be made to feel more whole again through connection with themselves, others, and the beauty of the world around them,” Voss said. She added that she hopes to bring in more experts and guest speakers for the upcoming series. “People want to hear from other survivors and family caregivers since they have a depth of wisdom healthcare professionals cannot cultivate.”