Not Forgotten: Young Adult Rocky Mountain Adventure 2020

“Honestly, it makes a big difference to realize you are not forgotten.”

- Katie, YARMA participant

This January, we invited 11 Young Adult Shining Stars, or as one participant framed it, “grown-up kiddos,” to attend the 2020 Young Adult Rocky Mountain Adventure. This program is featured in one of our newest initiatives, aimed at supporting our Shining Stars as they survive and thrive into adulthood.

Some challenges these pediatric cancer survivors face?

• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) from lasting memories of aggressive treatment

• Anxiety and/or depression regarding the possible return of their illness

• Residual health effects of their illness, including disability, compromised fertility, “chemo brain,” etc.

• Social isolation and/or limited social education due to childhood trauma

At this year’s YARMA retreat, we heard from Young Adults who struggled with each of these challenges. To help meet these challenges, we teamed up with Dr. Tom Smith, a pediatric oncologist at Children’s Colorado, and Dr. Karen Smith, a licensed School Psychologist who focuses on treating children with disabilities in their transition to adulthood.

Each evening, we sat by the fire at the Arapahoe Lodge in Winter Park and had deep, meaningful conversations about each participant’s cancer journey- and about the challenges they face today. Dr. Tom presented targeted information regarding physical well-being for an adult pediatric cancer survivor, while Dr. Karen offered resources for continued emotional, mental, and social health.

Each day, the Shining Stars Young Adults hit the slopes at Winter Park Resort with the National Sports Center for the Disabled, where they received one-on-one instruction in skiing, snowboarding, ski-biking, sit-skiing, and more. Just like at the Aspen Winter Games, we once again show participants all they are physically capable of and the mountains they can climb if they only believe in themselves.

Perhaps the most meaningful resource we provided throughout the week was the group itself. These young adults are unique. After all, according to The Amercian Cancer Society, only 11,050 children in the entire United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2020. It isn’t every day that our participants get the chance to share their experiences with others who completely understand their struggle.

“To know I’m not alone in what I’m going through as a survivor makes the load more bearable, “ one participant explained. “I am a very social person- I am close with my family and friends. Still, none of them really get what I am going through quite like [this group does.]”

At the end of the week, participants are invited to begin a new journey with Shining Stars, and the second part of our Young Adult initiative - the Mentorship Program. If they decide to move forward, each participant will attend our fall Mentorship Retreat, where we’ll dig into their goals and needs. After that, they are assigned a volunteer Mentor who suits those needs and can guide these Shining Stars as they reach for the stars!

This new Young Adult initiative aims to show these Shining Stars that they have not been forgotten. In their years as pediatric cancer patients, a slew of opportunities existed for them to learn, grow, and move forward in spite of their illness. Once they turn 18, these opportunities fade away, but their challenges remain. With this initiative, we seek to open their eyes to the possibilities of life again.

To learn more about how you can support this new Shining Stars initiative,
email office@shiningstarsfoundation.org today!

Meet Hunter

We met Hunter at the 2017 Aspen Winter Games. Still on active chemotherapy at the time, battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Hunter was nervous about coming to Aspen.

Diagnosed only 3 months before the trip, she had lost all of her hair and recent life had been a blur of hospital visits and medication. Despite living in Colorado, she had never skied before in her life! She just wasn’t sure what to expect. When she arrived in Aspen, her nerves quickly melted away.

Hunter went from never skiing to shredding Buttermilk Mountain, top to bottom, in no time. We loved watching Hunter blossom throughout the week. She made friends, hit the dance floor at disco night and remembered what it was like to be a “normal” teenager again.

For the past 3 years since her trip to Aspen, Hunter has attended a number of Shining Stars programs with her entire family. We have loved watching Hunter grow into the amazing young woman she is today!

”Thank you to Shining Stars for making me feel loved and normal. For becoming my family for a little while. For making me feel like a normal child and not just some sick kid in this world. I'm so very grateful for that experience.” -Hunter

Meet Olivia

Olivia is not your average teenager. At 16 years old, she was diagnosed with a tumor in her kidney and a rare, and aggressive cancer called a Wilms Tumor. Olivia may only be 17 now, but she has already overcome more challenges than most people will face in a lifetime. Since her diagnosis, she has undergone multiple surgeries, grueling rounds of chemo and radiation therapy, and a heartbreaking relapse. While her friends were worrying about SAT scores or celebrating getting their driver’s license, Olivia was in the hospital...fighting for her life.

At the 2019 Aspen Winter Games, Olivia experienced countless successes. She excelled on the mountain and skied like a pro. She brought down the house at talent night, with an unforgettable rendition of Queen’s Somebody to Love that would have brought Freddie Mercury himself to tears. She inspired the kids she met to live their lives boldly, in spite of their diagnoses. Most importantly, for the first time since she got sick, Olivia felt like she truly belonged.

“Shining Stars was truly one of the most incredible weeks of my life. Knowing that other kids are going through the same things as I am, and having someone you can talk to... it unifes us. This is an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.” - Olivia

Olivia and her family will now be invited to 60+ annual programs and events with the Shining Stars Foundation. These therapeutic services will continue to provide Olivia, and her family, with a sense of community and belonging. This holiday season, you can give the gifts of hope and healing to this brave young woman and so many more like her. Click the link below to find out how you can help!

Meet Ashley and Her Family

When you ask Shining Star Ashley what she wants to be when she grows up, she lights up as she exclaims, “a play director and to own my own theater!”

You can’t help but notice Ashley’s joyful smile as she tells you about all of her hobbies. “I love magic, acting, singing, basketball, swimming, fencing, reading, writing, and archery!

Ashley’s battle with cancer began at age 7, when she was diagnosed with a tumor in her adrenal gland.

Now in remission, 11-year-old Ashley is doing great, but life didn’t just go back to normal. As you know, cancer haunts long after treatment ends. Children are left trying to sort through experiences like seeing their parents cry, taking time off of school, and experiencing loss. Incredible loss. The loss of their hair, strength, ability to play a beloved sport, or people they thought were their friends. The loss of whatever used to feel like “normal”.

Like you, we want to give these children back their lives so that the trauma of cancer doesn’t define them. We want to remind a young person that there is life beyond cancer and that life can be filled with happier, more hope-filled experiences. Ashley and her family have participated in Shining Stars programs for two years now.

“We love being surrounded by people who get us,” shared her mom, Julie.

“No sad faces, or awkward stares and silences. We all share the same story…Shining Stars also gives my daughter something to look forward to and be excited about. Skiing was a big stretch for Ashley. She pushed herself to do things that she hadn’t done before.”

Pediatric Oncology Nurse Amy is a member of the Shining Stars medical team. She has seen many of her patients find healing at our programs. “Kids are able to challenge themselves and see that they can succeed and beat more than just cancer. They can also live their lives to the fullest, have a normal life, and be normal kids. I think that is something Shining Stars offers that not many programs do.”

Every week we get requests for help from families just like Ashley’s. The number of families being referred to our programs by oncology doctors has nearly doubled in the last five years and over 90% of our programs have a waitlist. The number of families we can reach depends on generous supporters like you.

We value your donation and are proud to report that last year only 3.25% of funds were allocated to administrative overhead costs and 4.8% to fundraising. This means that over 90% of your donation supports programming.

Summer means FREEDOM, FUN, and ADVENTURE at Shining Stars!

Meet Ali and Her Family

Ali’s cancer journey began with a routine x-ray. The 10-year-old had been complaining of pains in her left knee, so her parents took her to the doctor for what they thought would be a routine visit. It was anything but. Doctors discovered a tumor.  Ali had bone cancer, and suddenly the carefree little girl was fighting for her life. The effects of the diagnosis were widespread – cancer took over the entire family’s life. 

We loved getting to know Ali at the 2018 Aspen Winter Games. Ali had been an avid skier before her diagnosis, so when we told her about our Winter Games program, her face lit up – but she was worried, because she was still adapting to the prosthesis she’d had placed in her leg. We assured her that our adaptive instructors would make sure she felt safe and comfortable on the mountain. A spark of hope was lit!

Ali was so brave during Winter Games. Even though she had never been in a sit- ski before, she was a natural! We loved watching Ali fly down the mountain with her instructors. Ali realized nothing can hold her back from achieving her dreams! 

Thanks to our supporters, Ali and her entire family will now be invited to 70+ social and recreational programs every year. These events will help the family find a support network of other families who understand what they’re going through, while also giving them a day out to just have fun and enjoy one another away from the hospital and stresses of their daily lives. 

Summer is Coming...!

Summer is coming! Do you remember a more exhilarating feeling than the last day of school as a kid? Summer is a magical time for children all over the country. Kids get to spend more time outside, more time with friends and family, more time just being kids.

Unfortunately for so many of our Shining Stars, there is no time-off from cancer. While school is out, they are still required to endure hours of treatment inside at the hospital, even on the sunniest summer day. They might not have homework, but the life-saving medicine that courses through their veins makes them feel nauseous and ill - that's a feeling they take home even when they leave the hospital. Chemotherapy and radiation make skin much more susceptible to sunburn, so parents are even wary of letting their kids play in the sunshine for too long. Toput it lightly, cancer can be a real summer bummer.

At Shining Stars, we take back the summer for our Stars. To us, summer means adventure. It's all about spending time outside in the Colorado wilderness. It's about splashing around in cold lakes and rivers. It's about climbing up on that horse and taking it for a ride, even if you were afraid at first. It's about finally catching that fish you've always wanted to catch, or hit that golf drive straight as an arrow. It means bundling up by a campfire with your family when the day is done. With our expert medical team on site, we make it possible for pediatric cancer patients and survivors to discover the wonders of summer again. We can't wait to do it again in Summer 2018! 

One Way Caleb Feels Free

Caleb attended Winter Games in the spring of 2015. A 15-year-old from Aurora, Colorado, Caleb suffers from an optic glioma, a tumor of the nerve to the eye. This form of tumor often occurs as one of the central nervous system manifestations of Neurofibromatosis 1, which Caleb is also challenged with. He is essentially blind in his right eye, and is rapidly losing vision in his left eye each day.

Facing these debilitating illnesses as an adolescent, a time when even healthy teens struggle with drastic emotional and physical changes, is no easy feat. Caleb suffers from decreased motor control, compromised balance, hearing, a lack of energy and some learning delays.

In the face of all of these challenges, Caleb chooses to laugh. This amazing young man brings bright light and energy to every room he enters, armed with a half dozen jokes at any given moment. Caleb also enjoys writing- he has even published his own book about sharks! At Winter Games in 2015, he composed the following poem, and share it with all of us on Banquet Night.

The Skiing Poem by Caleb S.

Going to the top of the mountain so I can ski-
one way I can really be me.

Going down the hill-
that makes me feel free.

The energy, the rush
these things, you can't have too much.

The helmet, goggles, and coat-
a sit-ski is like a mountain boat!

This week is full of excitement and fun
having a blast under the sun.

Do I regret going down the hill, then back up the slope?
All I have to say is, "NOPE!"
 

Offering children like Caleb a chance to feel like themselves again, to feel free, is one of the many reasons that Shining Stars exists.

We recognize the tremendous struggle that these children have been forced into, and seek to acknowledge the sheer energy that it takes to wake up each day and fight their battle. In return, we seek to give these children HOPE- to show them all they are capable of doing and reflect the inner strength we see shining so bright beneath the surface. 

Will you help us show children like Caleb what it feels like to be free? Will you help us remind these kids what living truly feels like? Sponsor a Shining Star today. Click here. 

Meet Ta'Quaja

Ta’Quaja was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 2014. She underwent an aggressive treatment plan that included brain surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The grueling treatment left Ta’Quaja feeling isolated from her peers, so she was nervous to attend the 2016 Aspen Winter Games with nearly 70 other kids. 

Those nerves didn’t last long, though! From ski-biking Buttermilk Mountain, to strutting her stuff at the talent show, to giving all her new friends hilarious nicknames - we loved watching Ta’Quaja’s confidence blossom during the week! 

“Hospital stays, radiation, chemotherapy...my life revolved around treatments. Shining Stars gave me the opportunity to ride in an airplane for the first time, meet incredible people who motivate me to do more, and visit a state I’ve never been to. And I got to ski, which I’ve never done and made me feel like a champ no matter if I went fast or not.
-Ta’Quaja”

Your support will enable us to serve brave kids just like Ta'Quaja. Click here to learn how you can change a life today!