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Published byAugustine Washington Modified over 9 years ago
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Melissa's Living Legacy: Teen Cancer Foundation Group Members: Regina Blackley, Emma Gorman, Rachel Saroka, Kristen Stanton, and Krystal Stimus
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A Non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for teens and young adults living with cancer Started by Lauren Spiker in remembrance of her daughter Melissa who passed away from AML at the age of 19 It was her daughter's wish that she make a difference in the lives of other teens living with cancer About TLC
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TLC Goals Serve teens by providing educational resources and an environment where they can connect with other people in their age group dealing with same issues Help teens live as normal a life as possible throughout their disease and treatment TLC Fit Program- 8 week exercise program offered to teens, after cancer treatment. Both in Rochester and Washington, DC
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Pharmacy Student Role Provide chemotherapy drug information: o Impact on teen life/fitness o Potential long-term effects and their risk factors o Monitoring after end of treatment
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Service Learning Project Compiled drug cards containing different chemotherapeutic agents more common to adolescent cancers Presented material at a parents meeting, including question & answer session Attended "Journeys," their annual "celebration of living," to help distribute auction items to winners
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Time Spent Met with Lauren and Leah 3 times throughout project (~1 hour meetings) Attended Journey's Fundraiser (3 hours) Parents Meeting (2.5 hours) Preparation: (6 hours) o Included: researching/compiling drug information, formatting cards, reviewing
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Journeys - "Showdown at the Saline Saloon"
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TLC Fit
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Outcomes Provided information to parents about the potential long-term effects of chemotherapy - - focusing on fitness and adolescent health Information that can be utilized to update TLC website Reference material for future use in TLC fit program or distribution
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Knowledge Gained Prevalence of adolescent cancer is increasing, but survival rates have improved less than pediatric and adult cancers Treatment often undefined for teens- between pediatric and adult Face own unique set of challenges; deal with body image issues, fitting in, acceptance by peers on top of challenges brought on by cancer Long-term effects of treatment with teens is just now surfacing, as there is finally a population of survivors
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Effect on Future Pharmacy Practice We will have a better idea of how specifically to counsel adolescent patients on chemotherapy medications; what impacts their lifestyle most We learned how to better communicate with non- medical persons in the community and how to exchange information in a way they understand We utilized our drug information skills to find relevant and good information to provide for the parents of TLC
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Future Suggestions/Optimization More interaction with the teens could help give us a better idea of the struggles they're facing on a daily basis and help us to tailor what drug information to include or focus more closely on Have parents provide us a list of questions/concerns prior to the meeting Have parents provide us with a list of medications and treatments prior to the meeting In the future, TLC could utilize the information provided to update their website or improve the TLC Fit program
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The Good and The Bad Best o Journeys o Working with Lauren and Leah Worst o Overload of information o Too formal - not enough discussion
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What would you tell your family about the experience? My perception of what your "typical" cancer patient was changed; especially to watch them perform onstage at Journeys shows how positive and charismatic they are despite the challenges and medical treatments they're facing Adolescent cancer patients are facing unique challenges, including a higher relative mortality rate, physical and social isolation, in addition to going through an already difficult time
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Thank You A huge thank you to Lauren and Leah for their time and willingness to let us get involved! Thanks to the parents and teens at TLC! And of course, thanks to Dr. Parkhill for her guidance and patience!
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Resources Children’s Oncology Group: o Long-term follow-up guidelines for survivors of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancers Teens Living with Cancer website o http://www.teenslivingwithcancer.org/
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