Registration for YA Cancer Gabfest 2022 is now open! Throughout the week of December 5th, we invite you to share, explore, and learn as we socialize and engage with each other.
Continue readingYA Cancer Gabfest 2022: Registration Is Open!
Gabfest 2021 Registration Is Open!
Register for Gabfest 2021 today! Throughout the week of December 6th, we invite you to share, explore, and learn as we interact together.
Continue readingAnnual National Conference On Work And Cancer
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.
Black Lives Matter
Lacuna Loft has waited to offer our own words over the past week. As an organization led by a white woman, I have spent this time listening, learning, and unlearning so much about how I was brought up, how the world actually works, and how myself and Lacuna Loft fit into that complicated puzzle.
The fact of the matter is though, that Lacuna Loft must announce where we stand, how we feel, as an organization, in this tumultuous time.
Black Lives Matter.
Our virtual doors have always been open to anyone facing cancer as a young adult. For the past 5 years, young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers have spent time in our virtual rooms connecting with one another, validating one another’s experiences, and showing up for each other when other survivors present were at their lowest points experiencing cancer and working hard at survivorship. In our programs, people share their words and their experiences with courage and vulnerability. Together, we have left space for strong words and strong circumstances with grace, offering love at each point along the way.
But today, that is not enough. Today and every day from now on, Lacuna Loft recognizes that Black Lives have been left out of conversations around health, housing, fair and just treatment with police, and more. Lacuna Loft and I will continue to listen, seek to provide support in an anti-racist way, continue to include young adult cancer survivors of color in our conversations, and we will collectively continue to learn and unlearn.
Lacuna Loft stands with Black Lives. Black Lives Matter.
- Mallory Casperson, CEO + Founder
A Gabfest? Join Us For A Gabfest!
Elephants and Tea and Lacuna Loft are partnering together on a week-long, online conference…
YA Cancer Gabfest: A Week of Interactive Survivorship Crash Courses for Facing Cancer. Come spill tea with us no matter where you are!
Throughout the week of December 7th, we’ll offer opportunities to connect with other young adults facing cancer in webinars, hangouts, interactive sessions, chances for movement, and more. We are busy behind the scenes getting everything squared away but in the meantime, we want to hear from you!
Please fill out this quick survey and let us know what sorts of courses, discussions, topics, you name it, you want to have!
Are You A Healthcare Provider?
Healthcare providers are a critically important part of the young adult oncology world and we are so excited that you’re here! There are many things happening at Lacuna Loft, all geared toward offering young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers (ages 18-45) the support and resources they need to thrive.  Our programs are all offered online so young adult cancer survivors living absolutely anywhere can participate and connect with their young adult cancer survivor peers, either directly through our website or through a video chat platform.
There are several different ways we can work together!
- Interested in some materials to offer your patients? Fill out this form and we’ll mail some to you! On that same form, you can also sign up for our healthcare provider email list to receive periodic program updates!
- We can help you bring our online programs directly to your group of young adult cancer patients. Email mallory@lacunaloft.org for more information on possible programs and other logistics.
- Want to share your knowledge on a certain topic? We can help provide you an online platform to reach young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers, helping spread knowledge to a wider audience! (email mallory@lacunaloft.org for more info)
Want any more information or have a question?  Email info@lacunaloft.org.  We’d love to hear from you!
P.S. Are you a young adult cancer patient or survivor and want us to chat with your healthcare provider? Get in contact with us and we can help make that happen!
Join The Holiday Wreath Workshop!
Update: The workshop is now full! Please sign up on the interest form below to be notified when the next creative art workshop is announced!
Lacuna Loft’s online Holiday Wreath Workshop is the 17th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!
Join in while we use supplies from around the house to create a lovely wreath you can display around the house this holiday season. The only skills you need are being able to use a glue stick! This will be a fun craft to do while you hang out and chat with others!
Who: 15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.
When: Thursday, November 27th @ 5:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm CT / 8:30 pm ET via video chat. (note our earlier than normal start time!)
How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email a few days 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.***
Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)
The Holiday Card Workshop Is Here!
Update: The workshop is now full! Please sign up on the form below to be notified when the next Creative Art Workshop is forming.
Lacuna Loft’s online Holiday Card Workshop is the 16th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops! This workshop is designed to teach you how to emboss, stamp, and glitter your way to a holiday card! Aerial will walk you through how to decorate and spread some holiday cheer. Afterward, you can be part of the first Lacuna Loft card exchange!
Who: 15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.
When: Thursday, November 15th @ 4:30 pm PT / 6:30 pm CT / 7:30 pm ET via video chat. (note our earlier than normal start time!)
How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email a few days 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.***
Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)
Last Chance To Moon Walk!
The Moon Walk Gala is this Saturday! October 27th is the day to Moon Walk your way over to Chicago and join a great group of Lacuna Loft young adult cancer survivors, caregivers, board members, advisory board members, donors, and supporters!
We’ll spend a great evening together. Come on over for some food, an open bar, fun with Lightform, a silent auction, and more! We have limited edition event tees, there will be music…seriously, I can’t wait to see you!
Share Your Thoughts About Fertility And Family Building After YA Cancer
Today we’re sharing about a study that is trying to understand young adult female cancer survivors’ experiences related to their fertility and family-building after treatment — the care and counseling they receive post-treatment, unmet needs, and barriers to support. The researchers are going to take what they learn from this study to build a decision aid and planning tool (website) to help young women think through the decisions they face and plan ahead – medically, psychologically, and financially.
Share your thoughts and feelings about fertility and building a family after cancer. Researchers are trying to understand how to improve cancer care to make sure all patients receive the information and support they need to make decisions and prepare for the future.
This study is funded by the National Cancer Institute.
P.S. Total aside, but not really: the old board game LIFE is where the image comes from. We need to get some gender diversity up in there! How about a car with all pink? Or all blue? 🙂