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Cancer Warrior Alliance

Inspired by her mother’s courage, Krysten Ford started Cancer Warrior Alliance to help families such as hers arm themselves with resources and knowledge.
February 2019 Vol 5 No 1
Krysten Ford
CEO of Cancer Warrior Alliance
Mesa, Arizona
There is much to be said for the word “warrior.” It can mean different things to different people, but to me, it ultimately means someone who persists through adversity. And boy, is that what my mom did every single day! My mom fought against all the adverse effects of cancer from chemo and radiation every day.

Her health was constantly fluctuating, and it was tough on our family. Ever since I can remember, our family would pull together to make sure my mother was getting the best care in hospitals and clinics, and that everything was taken care of at home as well.

My mom was a survivor of childhood lymphoma, and then of breast cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 19. She never gave us a reason to believe that she wasn’t going to make it through. There were times when she was hospitalized, and then we’d get that call: “It’s looking really bad, come see your mom.” And I’d go, but deep inside I never thought it really was that last time. Until it was.

Late effects of chemotherapy and radiation took my mom’s life, after a heart surgery, in August 2015. I took time for myself after losing my mom, but a deeper depression set in, realizing that I truly did not think that I was going to lose her, and that I was not in a place in my life that she would be proud of. That’s where the hunt began.

Wanting to Make Mom Proud

I was looking for ways to make her proud. Ways to make her look down and say, “That’s my girl!” And I’ve done many things since August 2015 that I think my mom would be proud of. And some things I’m sure she’s shaking her head at me for! But her death led me to where I am today.

I am saddened that it required her death to ignite something in me that was not there before. I am saddened, because I wish it didn’t take her leaving me to realize that I needed to help. I needed to be a part of something that helped those in the cancer community realize that they were not alone.

That’s when I went to CancerCon, in 2016, and realized that there were other people who were like my mom and me. People who wanted to make a difference but didn’t have the know-how. I went to CancerCon again in 2017, and when leaving, I realized that although StupidCancer, the host of CancerCon, was allowing me to help them in their quest to help the cancer community, I needed to start my own journey.

Cancer Warrior Alliance

That’s when Cancer Warrior Alliance was formed. It was formed by people who felt aggravated and frustrated with the lack of resources that were known by the cancer community. Our mission was formed out of this aggravation. How many lives can be saved by these resources? How many emotional breakdowns could’ve been avoided? How many times did someone say, “I feel alone,” when they truly were not?

Cancer Warrior Alliance was formed to gather resources and make them readily available to anyone affected by cancer. As the CEO of this nonprofit company, I have come to learn that although people wholeheartedly agree with our mission and want to help, this organization faces the same difficulty that the other resources face: Being realized. Being recognized.

We are trying our best to get the word out that we are here to help anyone dealing with cancer. We are here to provide you with real, vetted resources that will allow you to focus on recovery and care rather than scouring the the Internet for hours looking for something, only to find out it’s a scam.

Key Points

  • Cancer Warrior Alliance was formed by people who were frustrated by the lack of resources known to patients
  • This organization gathers resources and makes them available to patients with cancer, with more than 100 resources on their website
  • The resources range from day camps for kids and their siblings to financial and counseling services, including information for a Cancer Journey Coach

Cancer Resources

Cancer Warrior Alliance is an alliance of resources. An alliance to make the goals of living your life on your terms, something that is within everyone’s reach. Our website has more than 100 vetted resources that will help with almost anything you can think of.

We have resources from day camps for kids and their siblings to financial and counseling services. We even have information for a Cancer Journey Coach, who will help you along your own journey with cancer.

My mother was a strong woman, and even she wished that she had known about the different resources that were available out there. Too many people are busy fighting for their lives and their loved ones’ lives (as they should be!) but fail to find resources to help them with that fight.

That’s why Cancer Warrior Alliance is made up of warriors, and we are here to help you fight through your adversities, hand in hand.

The Toughest Journey

Cancer is the toughest journey someone can ever go through. Whether you’re a patient, a survivor, a caregiver, a doctor, a family member, or a friend, it’s going to be tough.

But there is one thing I can tell you about cancer that you might not have heard before—it’s going to bring some of the best people into your life. It’s going to weed out those who shouldn’t be by your side, and show you who are the people who have the truest hearts you’ve ever seen.

Our organization is founded by these people, and we want to help! We want to broaden our horizons from Arizona to the entire United States. Come visit our website today or reach out and tell us what you need. We look forward to being in alliance with you and yours, no matter where you’re located.

Patient Resources

Cancer Warrior Alliance
http://cwa.life/resources/

Cancer Support Group Locator
https://conquer-magazine.com/interactive-media/cancer-support-group-locator

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