Fall is finally here, and with it comes the onset of Flu Season. Flu is a difficult illness for everyone, but for cancer patients, it can be devastating. It is especially confusing in this year which continues to challenge everyone with the uncertainty of COVID-19 and its variants.
The LRG worked with the NIH to create a collaborative model to serve the needs of Pediatric & SDH patients, hosting a virtual tumor board on June 25th to replace the in-person Pediatric & Wildtype Clinic which the NIH holds annually.
COVID-19 - Resources GIST Patients Need - Please know that the Life Raft Group is here to support you during this Coronavirus crisis. We will continue our daily services during this time and we will be distributing information and messages of hope through all our communication channels.
In our LRG community, we’ve seen many examples of GISTer family planning but also women who have found out they had GIST while they were pregnant. Here are some helpful resources
NCCN repost - Leading cancer and infectious disease experts offer preliminary advice on how to quickly, safely, and efficiently protect vulnerable patients from COVID-19; with more updates to come.
Despite the challenges of Covid, the LRG has quickly developed new ways of working together virtually. We have kept afloat and served our community well during this dark year. These points of light show just how far we've come this year.
Angel Selena Rodriguez was living what she considered a very normal life. She was studying medicine, playing violin in an orchestra, and enjoying painting and drawing, and university in Venezuela.
For many, the holidays are challenging normally and for cancer patients, the expectations of a consistently happy mood may be unrealistic. If you are newly diagnosed, the realization of what treatment means is probably not yet fully absorbed.
Carlos and Liana Baldor's daughter, Ana Maria Baldor-Bunn, died from GIST in 2002 after a two-year battle. Our In Memoriam website is dedicated to Ana and her father Carl who lost his own battle with cancer in April of 2020.
Concerning Medicare Open Enrollment: It is especially important for GIST patients to carefully consider available plans, as one of the financial support resources that has been available through Novartis Pharmaceuticals will end on January 1, 2021.
