Gilda’s Club
encourages
silliness and
whimsy.
Children together
while their parents
are at Couples
Night.
she actually had a rare bone marrow failure. Kinsey was flown by
airlift to Milwaukee where the family was told she had only four
weeks to live.
“It was 27 months of chemotherapy, hundreds of transfusions, lots
and lots of time in the hospital. She’s had a few health bumps since
then, but nothing substantive since she was 12. It’s getting better.
She’ll be 19 next month. She’s a sophomore at Stanford,” smiled
Morrison.
With Morrison bringing her experience as th e mother of a pediatric
cancer survivor to Gilda’s Club and Ferry’s expertise working with
children, it makes perfect sense that Gilda’s Club Louisville has taken
a hard look at supporting the youngest among us affected by cancer.
Today, 20 percent of Gilda’s Club Louisville membership comes
through its youth program. This includes pediatric children, their
siblings and children with an adult cancer connection. The clubhouse is host to numerous events for young people, both serious
and silly. There are lock-ins, retreats, day camps, field trips and
support sessions.
Gilda’s Club also hopes to establish support groups in each school
and allow young people the opportunity to grow their networks of
support from there. “We’ve done classroom interventions, but we
want to take that to the next level,” said Morrison. “Both Joe and I
felt very strongly that Gilda’s Club was for the whole family.”
Another unique youth program offered is Gilda University, where
children ages 8-15 can receive emotional support in preparation for
a new school year. “Gilda University focuses on ‘When cancer is
part of the equation, how do you find room for math and science?’
It helps kids identify strategies and tools they need to be successful,”
Ferry said, touching on the larger goal of Gilda’s Club.
“Everything we do is about living your life when cancer is a part
of it. That may seem like a very thin line, but for us, it’s not about
VITAL SIGNS Volume 10 • Issue 2
Couples Night at
Gilda’s Club.
treating the cancer. It’s about treating personal issues, being a whole
person and being part of a whole family.”
Being a part of a family means something different to each Gilda’s
Club member, so Gilda’s Club Louisville takes any and all suggestions
for fun, interactive and thought provoking programs seriously. For
example, when creating lock-in parties for children, Gilda’s Club
goes all-in.
“One time, the whole clubhouse looked like Hogwarts out of Harry
Potter. One time we had a Hunger Games theme and created a jungle
theme. We try to make it as purposeful as it can be because we’re
trying to help people create memories,” Morrison said.
Once a group of adult women found out about the themed lock-ins,
they asked Gilda’s Club to consider one for older members as well.
“Now we’re getting ready for our 16th ‘Girlz Just Wanna Have Fun’
lock-in for women 21 and older who have a cancer connection. They
can come in here and they may be hula-hooping, scrap booking or
belly dancing. They’re just living it up for a night,” Ferry explained.
Another popular event is Couples’ Night, where couples affected
by cancer have a gourmet meal provided for them by a local chef
in private rooms throughout the clubhouse.
“We just had a night for couples who have a child living with cancer.
One couple whose child was hospitalized, came from the hospital
and then headed back after the evening was over. For us to have
that ability to create moments of grace and love along a person’s
journey is really a privilege,” said Ferry.
These unique experiences have provided Gilda’s Club Louisville
with a huge network of family and friends who call the clubhouse
home. The thriving membership provides even more opportunities
for the clubhouse in the future.
While membership in the clubhouse continues to grow, the amount
of people who can be served by the single building at 633 Baxter
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