We incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2008 and have since been busy fund raising, friend raising and planning our treks. In 2010 we held our inaugural trek in Northern Montana and Idaho and became a member of the LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance, a national coalition of organizations with the goal to improve the survival rates and quality of life for young adults with cancer. Keep reading below to learn more about why we focus on young adult cancer survivors and why we feel that exposure to the outdoors and mindfulness meditation can be so important.
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Why Young Adult Cancer Survivors?
For most young adults finishing treatment, many important aspects of life have been affected or interrupted, such as relationships, educational plans, undesired body changes, career goals, family planning, etc. On top of this are treatment-related side effects that can linger for years, as well as the constant worry of recurrence. As treatment finishes, a young adult often moves from a highly structured network of care providers and resources to an unstructured system with very little guidance or navigation tools.
Increasing attention has been focused on the transition or "re-entry" phase from a cancer diagnosis and treatment to survivorship, which can be especially challenging. In fact, this group has been labeled “lost in transition” by an Institute of Medicine report. We recognize that young adult cancer survivors experience numerous re-entries and transitions regardless of how long it’s been since treatment ended, and the chance of getting “lost” remains high. Therefore, any young adult cancer survivor is eligible to participate on a True North Trek.
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