Do you have community?
When entering the world of “cancer,” many can often feel so incredibly isolated. Not only has their world been suddenly flipped upside down, and they now find themselves stuck on a lone island with a hovering category 5 hurricane, but…as much as their loving “non-cancer” friends and family want to support them, it’s not uncommon to find that those loved ones “just don’t get it.”
This is why we want to share with you Juliana’s story below!
To give you a bit of background…
Juliana was 3 years old when diagnosed with a Wilm’s Tumor. She was healthy, happy, energetic and had no symptoms. So, after attending a well-check visit and the doctor expressing some initial concerns of an enlarged spleen, Juliana’s parents, Cara and Jorge, quickly found themselves on the cancer path and getting connected with The KICKcancER Community.
In fact, here’s how Cara summarized her experience of the connections she made with us:
I have never felt so connected to a group of people I have never met…the knowledge we gained and the sense of community was priceless.
So, keep reading below, and if you need support and community, take advantage of one of our programs, interact with us on Facebook or Instagram, or send us an email. We are here to help!
Juliana’s Favorite Sport or Activity:
Soccer with her brother.
Juliana’s Favorite Healthy Food:
Salad
From KICKcancER:
- Here’s our favorite Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe. We also love Bragg’s Live Foods and Tessemae’s.
Juliana’s Health Tip:
We have learned how to read labels of food.
From KICKcancER:
- Two resources that might be helpful: Foundational Principles of a Healthy Diet and the WAPF Shopping Guide and/or Real Food App. The guide is included in our KICKstart Kits.
Juliana’s Story with KICKcancER:
I felt very lost when my child was diagnosed like so many others. I was laying in the hospital bed with a just turned 3 year old next to me. I’m not sure who was more scared.
Luckily, I had a friend that had a friend who knew Season’s sister. I got an email from Season welcoming me with hope. I knew it wasn’t going to take the cancer away, but it gave me something to hold onto that I could do.
I started immediately with oils from a friend. I began detox baths when chemo started along with castor oil packs and bone broth. We were able to do things to support my daughter’s system.
I was able to message Kari, and she offered support when I just needed a pep talk or info about how to use an oil or what should I do when the doctors asked me this or that. I think that was one of the best things…I could actually touch base with someone and get a response when I felt so lost. It was often hard to navigate all the information I was receiving, so to be able to listen to a Facebook Live or ask a question and get an answer was crucial.
I will forever be grateful to KICKcancER and honestly can say that at least once a day, I think about them or use their name in a conversation. I am filled with emotion thinking about how strong I was able to be for my daughter because of them. On top of that, how strong Juliana is because of them.
