CaringBridge Lessens the Load
For Eddie and Mary Grampp, life is full of “good distractions” with three active kids all under the age of 5 including one starting kindergarten this fall. Eddie, diagnosed with an inoperable brai...
Breast Cancer: Laughing ’Til It Hurts
As I discussed in my first two posts, I successfully used humor to make it through my breast cancer diagnosis and a battery of tests and doctors. But surgery and treatment are where the rubber meets t...
What An ALS Family REALLY Thinks About the Ice Bucket Challenge
The following post originally appeared on Bo Stern’s blog in response to the viral success of the ALS Ice Bucket challenge–a challenge that CaringBridge staff enthusiastically took on...
Keep Calm and Rock On—Despite Cancer
“I won’t give you up mom; you can be my mom forever.” Those were the words of my then three-year-old as we cuddled before bed on August 11, 2013. I held back the tears because I didn’t want to...
Back to School after Surviving Cancer: One Boy’s Story
Summer is soon over and the anticipation of the upcoming school year is here. It’s time for children to say goodbye to bonfires and swimming and hello to schedules, desks and books. It is a time for...
Breast Cancer? Keep Laughing.
In my first post, Laughing at My Cancer, I talked about my use of a humor as a coping mechanism when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s one thing to maintain a sense of humor while the disease...
Kindest Cuts: Free Clips of Kindness for Cancer Patients
In mid-2010, Great Clips CEO Rhoda Olsen approached Jane Evans, a franchisee in Colorado, and asked her opinion about a philanthropy effort that could be offered system-wide: giving cancer patients fr...
Sisters and Best Friends, Conquering Challenges Together
There’s a saying out there about being kind to people no matter what, because we’re all fighting our own battles. In the Geist family, they’ve experienced two battles. One is now, thankfully, co...
An Important Lesson: Living in the Moment
When I was sitting by Frank’s hospital bed, wondering if he was going to live another day, I remember thinking about life, and how we had arrived at this moment. I learned an important lesson over t...
Creating Hope Together: Surround PTSD with Support
The effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are significant: someone suffering from the disorder feels stressed and frightened, even when there is no threat or danger. But researcher Dr. Stef...