On June 4, 2007, I walked out of the hospital after my last chemotherapy infusion for breast cancer. I was grateful to be finished but tired, and unsure about the future.  Exactly ten years later, on June 4, 2017, I will cycle 100 miles around Lake Tahoe ("America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride") to celebrate life without cancer and raise money for the organization that jump started my healing and continues to inspire me to help others facing cancer - the Ulman Cancer Fund.  My goal is to raise $1,000 for each year of my survivorship -- $10,000 for young adults facing cancer. 

Many cancer patients describe a post-treatment void; the appointments end and life is supposed to return to normal. But post-cancer normal is not the same, and building a new, strong self after cancer takes time. When I hit my lowest point after treatment, UCF's Cancer to 5K program (a free running program for patients and surviors) showed me that I could move forward - one step at a time - physically and emotionally. I felt supported, loved, and understood when I needed those things most.

Today, I'm still working to pay it forward. I am now Chair of UCF's Board of Directors and in that role, and as a survivor whose life was changed by UCF, I am proud to ask you to support me in this ride, because UCF is doing something incredibly special.

We are building the UCF House, http://ulmanfund.org/theucfhouse/, a home away from home for young adult patients who need a place to stay while receiving treatment at Baltimore's world-class hospitals. A cancer diagnosis is a scary, isolating, and financially burdensome experience, particularly when you have to leave home to get the care you need. So UCF is building a safe, comfortable, and supportive space where 8 young adults patients and their caregivers can stay, free of charge, while they undergo treatment. We expect to open our doors in 2018 and serve 200 families a year. 

At the groundbreaking ceremony, a survivor speaker told us that cancer is the "best worst thing" that ever happened to her. Because of UCF and the family it has given me, I feel the same way.

Please help us build a community of support for young adults facing cancer.

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, the Ulman Cancer Fund is able to provide free support services and resources for the young adult cancer community including:

Cancer to 5K - a 12-week training program designed to introduce or reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.

Patient Navigation - a free program (onsite at cancer centers and remotely through our office) that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone. We provide one-on-one support & resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer expereience and long-term cancer survival.

Scholarships - a financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.

Your donation will help make these programs and our mission possible!