The Elephant in the Room is Cancer. Tea is the Relief Conversation Provides.

January, 18th 2025: Join us for food, drinks, dancing, and author sharing — all to support our mission. Learn more here!

Caregivers

These stories are written by caregivers and loved ones of those dealing with cancer. Cancer hits the entire family hard, including the caregiver. Find inspiration and a community of caregivers sharing their stories to help lift each other up.

Want to submit a story?  Click Here.

Dear Cancer, I Will Not Thank You, Ever

by Angie Giallourakis, PhD June 1, 2021

A Poem to cancer from the Steven G. Cancer Foundation and Elephants and Tea President.

Read More...

Construction

by Caitlyn Stewart May 3, 2021

You were thrust into my life like a wrecking ball through a building. As if our world needed disruption. You marched in taking charge, it didn’t matter that we didn’t know you. We complied with your requests, dropped plans when you announced your scheme.

Read More...

What A Journey It Has Been

by Colin Ferro April 28, 2021

What a journey it has been, all it took was one day back in 2007 that has since changed the path in which my life would go. I did not know back then what to expect. I did not understand what the balance of a cancer diagnosis would be.

Read More...

A Father’s Love

by Stefan Moore April 25, 2021

As a father, I have experienced the heartbreaking agony of losing my precious 13 year old daughter from brain cancer. When my daughter, Ashley, was first diagnosed with cancer, we were shocked, felt helpless and like most parents we trusted her doctors to cure her disease.

Read More...

Crisis Management Lessons From A Personal Adversity

by Pankaj Tewari April 21, 2021

The last thing I expected from my devastating personal adversity – unexpected diagnosis of my teenage son’s combination of (not one, not two but three) cancers– was lifelong crisis management lessons.

Read More...

Braving the Storm

by Rachel Engstrom April 4, 2021

As I sit here looking out the window at the snow that is beginning to fall, I am transported back to January 2011 when I was 28 and my 35 year old husband was diagnosed with leukemia. I was thrown into a snow storm I was definitely not prepared for nor did I think I’d be in.

Read More...

Establishing Your New Normal

by Laura DeKraker Lang-Ree February 22, 2021

Establishing New Boundaries: From years of observing the interactions between my daughter, dad and their families, friends and medical team, I learned that it’s paramount for patients and/or their caregivers to establish personal boundaries around the way they are treated with both words and actions.

Read More...

Caregivers! Are You Surviving or Thriving?

by Kayla VanBuskirk November 1, 2020

Surviving or thriving?  Caregivers can do BOTH.  Right now, I am often just surviving day to day, but I know I am thriving while being a caregiver to an active duty military member.

Read More...

September 2020 Magazine: The Wellness and Mindfulness Issue

by Nick Giallourakis September 2, 2020

When we put together our editorial calendar at the end of 2019 for 2020, I never imagined how significantly important our decision was to make the September magazine the “wellness and mindfulness” issue.

Read More...

One on One Support

by Nick Giallourakis August 21, 2020

We are excited to be able to partner with Imerman Angels as we continue to help people across the AYA cancer community know they are not alone in facing cancer by providing one to one support.

Read More...