1、A Legacy for lifeHong Hui HuangDepartment of HematologyRen Ji Hospital Gildas Club is a special place where the focus is on living with cancer.And where men,women and children with any kind of cancer and their family members and friends can plan and build life-changing emotional and social support.T
2、he mission of Gildas Club is to provide places where men,women,and children with cancer and their families and friends join with others to build social and emotional support as a supplement to medical care.free of charge and non-profit,offer support and networking groups,lectures,workshops and socia
3、l events in a nonresidential,home-like setting,Funding is solicited from private individuals,corporations,and foundations.Gildas Club is named in memory of comedian Gilda Radner died from ovarian cancer in 1989 Gilda is best known for her work on NBCs Saturday Night Live her book,Its Always Somethin
4、g,describes her life with cancer.the founder of Gildas Club and sits on the Board of Directors of Gildas Club Worldwide worked as a cancer psychotherapist during the Gildas illness worked to establish free cancer support communities first at the pioneering Center for the Healing Arts in Los Angeles,
5、later at The Wellness Community in Santa Monica and Redondo Beach,California.trained and supervised therapists extensively in the concept,worked with hundreds of people with cancer and their family members on psychosocial issues related to cancer.the author of Gildas Club:Philosophy and Program,a fr
6、equent lecturer at cancer-related institutes and psycho-oncology meetings and conferences around the world,an advisor to the National Cancer Legislation Advisory Committee.The first Gildas Club,including a worldwide training center,opened its signature red door in New York City in 2019.Since that ti
7、me,additional clubhouses have opened in larger cities(Chicago,Detroit,London,Montreal,Toronto),smaller cities(Fort Lauderdale,Quad Cities,Hackensack,Rochester)and several points in between(Nashville,Grand Rapids,White Plains).Although every Gildas Clubhouse is different in size and layout,each has s
8、pecific rooms designed for parts of the Gildas Club program.Support and Networking Groups Weekly Wellness Groups for those living with cancer Family Groups for family members and friends,Monthly Networking Groups on a particular kind of cancer or topic of common interest(prostate cancer,young adults
9、 with cancer,living solo with cancer,etc.)Lectures and Workshops These activities provide opportunities for acquiring new skills,tools,information and techniques to learn how to live with cancer.Typical lecture topics stress reduction,nutrition,talking to your children about cancer,and managing pain
10、.Major workshop areas art and other forms of self-expression,meditation,exercise and yoga,and cooking.Social Activities These are among the most popular offerings at Gildas Clubs.potluck suppers with music karaoke nights joke fests comedy nights major celebrations around special holidays(Halloween i
11、s a real favorite!)Having members and families come together for fun creates bonds that enhance other individual and group experiences.Team Convene Facilitated by a staff member,these two-hour sessions are requested by a person with cancer or family member to create an active support network at the
12、time of diagnosis and for any challenging situations that may follow(e.g.,a hospital stay or home recuperation).Sessions include all significant friends and family in a members life,who join together to provide support for transportation,food preparation,childcare,etc.Family Focus The Family Focus m
13、eeting,including anyone a member defines as family and facilitated by a staff member,is designed to enlist the entire family as a resource and help them learn together how to live with cancer.It seeks to identify and discuss family beliefs about cancer,critical family issues,and immediate practical
14、problems as well as solutions.Noogieland This is both the Gildas Club program and play area for children,as well as a supplement to the core program for parents who are members.In a special area of every clubhouse,activities are conducted for children impacted by cancer,whether directly or by having
15、 a family member or friend with cancer.Most Gildas Clubs also have several kinds of activity for teens,who frequently volunteer in many parts of the clubhouse.psycotherapy recurrence anaplastic astrocytoma ovarian cancer advanced cervical cancer non-hodgkins lymphoma Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center needle aspiration radiation chemotherapy cranioplasty PAP smear Temodar(TM)(temozolomide)Carboplatin Taxol anti-angiogenesis
