Improve The Health And Healthcare of AYA Cancer Survivors

people holding hands

Lacuna Loft’s very own Mallory Casperson is an investigator in a new study with researchers at Kaiser Permanente to improve the health and healthcare of adolescent and young adults (AYAs) who may have had cancer. We need to hear about cancer experiences like yours to help shape our research. Topics will include your experiences with medical care, your life experience, and your thoughts on research participation.

We would like to recruit 30 AYAs to participate in a sixty-minute telephone interview. We will talk about cancer experiences and what researchers should know.

People who complete an interview will receive a $40 Target, Amazon, or Starbucks gift card for their participation.

If you are interested in participating, please click on the following link to answer a few questions to see if you are eligible. If you are eligible and selected, a member of the study team will follow up with you to schedule your interview.

Click here if you’re interested: https://bit.ly/2SU9aU8

With sincere thanks,
Marlaine Figueroa Gray, PhD – Kaiser Permanente Washington

Mallory Casperson – Lacuna Loft

Research Study On Extracurriculars Among Childhood Cancer Survivors

Lacuna Loft really enjoys sharing the news on research studies that benefit young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.  Check out this announcement for one from Celina at Cedars-Sinai!

I am part of a research team at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I am writing to invite you to participate in our research study about promoting extracurricular activities among early childhood cancer survivors. We hope to learn more about childhood cancer survivors’ experiences participating in extracurricular activities.

If you are a parent of an early childhood cancer survivor (ages 10-18), please consider enrolling in our study. You and your child will participate in one interview, 30 to 60 minutes in length. (Please note that parents and children 12 or older have the option to participate in a second interview). As a thank you for your participation, you will receive an Amazon gift card worth $30 in your currency.

If you’d like to participate or have any questions about the study, please email: Celina Shirazipour, Ph.D. @ celina.shirazipour@cshs.org

Paper Mache Cactus Workshop

tray of cactus

Join us for a one-of-a-kind art workshop as we celebrate all things cactus! We’ll be crafting a unique cactus made from foam board and paper mache over two Mondays together in August. This two-part workshop will have a 20 young adult cancer patient, survivor, and caregiver capacity, and will meet for 2 hours on Monday, August 2nd and Monday, August 9th starting at 4:30pm PT / 6:30 pm CT/ 7:30 pm ET! We’ll send you everything you need to participate ahead of time!

Please note, by signing up for this workshop you are committing to spending two Mondays with us. This is also a more difficult workshop than we normally do. We will be working with box cutters, messy glue, and toothpicks! While paper mache isn’t for the faint of heart, the one-of-a-kind masterpiece you create will certainly be worth your effort! (And we guarantee with so many messy components, we’re bound to have quite a few laughs.) Email Aerial@lacunaloft.org for any questions about this!

Who: 20 young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

When: Monday, August 2nd + Monday, August 9th @ 4:30-6:30 pm PT / 6:30-8:30 pm CT / 7:30-9:30 pm ET via video chat.* (*US time zones…please confirm what time this means for where you live).

How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

Please note: Due to the global pandemic and ever-increasing customs and delivery times, we have stopped shipping outside of the United States. If you are interested in joining, please fill out the form and we will send you a list of supplies needed to participate, so you can still join us! Thank you for your understanding! If you have any questions, you can contact aerial@lacunaloft.org.

Diamond By Number Art Workshop

Join us for June’s Art Workshop: Diamond by Number! Create a piece of art made of rhinestones, through a meditative and repetitious process. Brandie will answer all your questions while guiding you through this 12 x 16 masterpiece of cacti. We’ll send you everything you need! It’s all happening on June 14th at 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT / 7:30 pm ET for two hours. We have supplies for 20 young adult patients, survivors, and caregivers.

**Please note, it’s unlikely we’ll get to finish this in the two-hour block of time. You are welcome to continue working on the craft on your own or by joining the next Young Adult Cancer Hangout (UnFinished Objects Edition) on June 21st at 4:30 pm PT / 6:30 pm CT / 7:30 pm ET. If you sign up for the Art Workshop, attendance is still required for the entirety of the workshop on June 14th. Feel free to email Aerial@lacunaloft.org with questions.

Who: 20 young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

When: Monday, June 14th @ 4:30-6:30 pm PT / 6:30-8:30 pm CT / 7:30-9:30 pm ET via video chat.* (*US time zones…please confirm what time this means for where you live).

How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

Please note: Due to the global pandemic and ever-increasing customs and delivery times, we have stopped shipping outside of the United States. If you are interested in joining, please fill out the form and we will send you a list of supplies needed to participate, so you can still join us! Thank you for your understanding! If you have any questions, you can contact aerial@lacunaloft.org.

Join The Next Young Adult Cancer Book Club

the cancer journals stacked

It’s time for another round of the Young Adult Cancer Book Club!

This next book club pick is The Cancer Journals, by Audre Lorde. Here at Lacuna Loft, we’re really excited to read this book together! The books are packed and ready to go and that means that it’s time for you to sign up to receive one of the 30 free books that we send out to young adult cancer patients and survivors in exchange for sharing your commentary on one of the book’s chapters.  Sign up here for your free book!

We’ll be sending the books out by the end of the month. The reading assignments (for what chapter we’d love your commentary on) will go out then too, and we’ll start sharing your commentary in mid-May.

Once this round of book club officially starts, there are several ways for you to be involved in the book club:

  • Read the book along with us and check out the Young Adult Voices blog each Monday, starting in February for the next book chapter’s installment!
  • If you get behind, check out this page for all of the posts for Round 12 of the book club.
  • If you’d like to contribute your comments about a chapter, email aerial@lacunaloft.org at least a few days ahead of the Monday when that chapter will be discussed, with your comments and a short bio of yourself.

Happy reading!!

Wreck This Journal Workshop

wreck this journals

Join Lacuna Loft while we Wreck This Journal for May’s Creative Art Workshop!  Mary Clare will lead you through the tumultuous harrows of wrecking a journal personalized to you!

Who: 20 young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

When: Monday, May 17th @ 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET via video chat.* (*US time zones…please confirm what time this means for where you live).

How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

Please note: Due to the global pandemic and ever-increasing customs and delivery times, we have stopped shipping outside of the United States. If you are interested in joining, please fill out the form and we will send you a list of supplies needed to participate, so you can still join us! Thank you for your understanding! If you have any questions, you can contact aerial@lacunaloft.org.

Drag Bingo Brunch Is Just Around The Corner

Lacuna Loft recently celebrated its 6 year anniversary as a nonprofit!  To celebrate, we’re hosting a Disney-themed, Drag Bingo Brunch featuring Miss Redd!  We’ve been hinting at a big reveal happening at the event, and here it is…we’re going to unveil our rebrand and new name at the event!  We’ve spent the last 9 months going through an exhaustive process and we are very excited about our new name and how it resonates with the work we do and the community we serve.  Want to be the first to know?  Grab your ticket today!

What do we mean by Drag Bingo Brunch?  A lovely drag queen, Miss Redd, will be hosting a bingo brunch with us!  We’ll have prizes, dance numbers, a costume contest, and attendees will be the very first to hear a HUGE announcement from us!

Is there a theme?  Yep!  Disney!

Do I need to dress in drag?  Nope!  Can you?  Sure!  We’ll have a costume contest though so dressing up according to our Disney theme is extremely encouraged. 😉

Who will be there?  Everyone!  Join with Lacuna Loft staff, board members, supporters, and community members!

How much does it cost?  This is a pay-as-you-can event!  While the suggested, minimum donation is $6 we totally understand that people have different financial capacities so you can join the drag bingo brunch, whether you pay $0, $6, or more!

Join us on Saturday, May 8th at 10 am PT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET for a 90-minute Drag Bingo Brunch.

Learn more and grab your tickets here!

Annual National Conference On Work And Cancer

work and cancer conf logo

Lacuna Loft is pleased to partner with Cancer and Careers on the 11th annual National Conference on Work & Cancer, being held virtually on Friday, June 25, 2021!

This FREE virtual event will explore the complexities working people face as they try to balance their cancer treatment and recovery with employment. Topics will include job search, legal issues, working during treatment, managing stress and more. CEUs/PDCs will be offered for nurses, social workers and HR professionals.

For more details or to register, please visit www.cancerandcareers.org/conference.

Drag Bingo Brunch With Miss Redd

miss redd drag queen

Today, Lacuna Loft turns 6 years old as a nonprofit!!!  To celebrate, we’re hosting a Disney-themed, Drag Bingo Brunch featuring Miss Redd!

What do we mean by Drag Bingo Brunch?  A lovely drag queen, Miss Redd, will be hosting a bingo brunch with us!  We’ll have prizes, dance numbers, a costume contest, and attendees will be the very first to hear a HUGE announcement from us!

Is there a theme?  Yep!  Disney!

Do I need to dress in drag?  Nope!  Can you?  Sure!  We’ll have a costume contest though so dressing up according to our Disney theme is extremely encouraged. 😉

Who will be there?  Everyone!  Join with Lacuna Loft staff, board members, supporters, and community members!

How much does it cost?  This is a pay-as-you-can event!  While the suggested, minimum donation is $6 we totally understand that people have different financial capacities so you can join the drag bingo brunch, whether you pay $0, $6, or more!

Join us on Saturday, May 8th at 10 am PT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET for a 90-minute Drag Bingo Brunch.

Learn more and grab your tickets here!