Posts Tagged ‘patient support groups’
Kids with cancer encourage each other
Having gone through herself a terribly difficult childhood – being diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at the age of 3 ½ years – Marcsi Benkő (14) wanted to help other children fighting cancer in coping with the challenges they face during treatment. She remembered how the other kids in the hospital ward had helped her by explaining things that she could not understand, and she was deeply scared of. The idea of producing short video messages narrated by peer children in their own words emerged. Read here Marcsi’s touching story about her journey from a child with Ewing sarcoma to a teenage patient advocate.
Read MoreSPAGN Annual Conference 2025
📋 Conference Program 🎓 Travel Grants 📝 Registration 🏨 Venue We are thrilled to announce that the SPAGN Annual Conference 2025 will be held in Washington D.C., USA, from April 11-13, 2025. This will be our first conference in the United States, marking a significant milestone for our global community. Even more exciting, this year’s…
Read MoreNot just any cancer information day…. from the diary of a patient advocate
More than five years after therapy, our Editor-in-Chief Gabi Ott went back to the hospital where she was treated. But this time, it was not as a patient but as a patient advocate. Together with her colleagues, she attended to people looking for information on sarcoma. Being in the building also brought back memories of her darkest days – and the many people who helped her during this journey. A tribute to the nurses and doctors, and a patient organization.
Read MoreBridging the Gap in Sarcoma Care: A Vision for South Africa
Sarcoma patients in South Africa struggle to find the expertise required for correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Lauren Pretorius, Chief Executive Office of Campaigning for Cancer, provides her vision on how sarcoma care in South Africa can be transformed.
Read MoreArtificial intelligence – what does it mean to us?
We live in truly interesting times, finds Gerard van Oortmerssen, Co-Chair of the SPAGN Board. The latest wave of digital revolution, artificial intelligence, creates new opportunities for sarcoma patients and patient advocates. AI can facilitate access to information and peer-to-peer support. Moreover, it allows to collect patient reported outcomes and thus give sarcoma patients a stronger voice and say in research and care.
Read MoreThe lump is gone — finally!
About ten months ago, Roger Wilson shared with us the experience of finding a lump – again. It was a benign cyst, and for the first time, he had a choice as to whether or not to have a surgery. Roger decided to have the lump removed, and it is finally gone. Relieved and grateful to his tumour team, Roger gives us the continuation of his story.
Read MoreFrom chaos to control: Three decades in the continuum of care
We celebrate with V Care 30 years of patient advocacy work in Mumbai, India and other states! Integral part of this pioneering cancer patient association is Spandan, a welcoming space for those affected by sarcoma. Spandan means ‘heartbeat’ in English. Vandana Gupta, founder of V Care, explains their mission, success and lessons learnt along the way.
Read MoreSix great examples of sarcoma patient advocacy to follow this year!
This year’s winning projects of the SPAGN Advocacy in Action Awards demonstrate the creativity, deep insights into patients concerns, dedication and professionalism of our members to help improve sarcoma patients access to care and quality of life. A big applause!
Read MoreMy lumpy life as a young adult
“After a shower, I noticed an odd lump on my left hip. Two weeks passed, but Lumpy—the name I declared this mysterious lump—remained. Luckily, I had a when in doubt, check it out mentality…” Read about Matt’s sarcoma journey and find out why sarcoma is like skydiving.
Read MoreSomos raros, mas juntos somos mas fortes!
Juntas, duas pacientes brasileiras com tumor desmoide, Carolina Menezes e Georgia Garofalo, fundaram a Desmoide Brasil em 2021. Desde então, a Desmoide Brasil tem – entre outras iniciativas — organizado simpósios, montado exposições, lançado um registro de pacientes, escrito um livreto de boas-vindas para novos pacientes, e estabelecido uma comunidade online ativa no Facebook e WhatsApp. Sua história é uma inspiração!
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