15 years later, Gilda s laughter lives on. GILDA S CLUB CHICAGO SINCE 1998

Transcription

1 15 years later, Gilda s laughter lives on. GILDA S CLUB CHICAGO SINCE 1998

2 I have a theory that cancer cells hate laughter and jokes and songs and dancing. GILDA RADNER 2 1

3 3 One laugh.

4 It s always something. ROSEANNE ROSEANNADANNA Gilda Radner was more than a brilliant comedienne who created enduring and endearing characters as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live. She was also a woman with the strength of character to face cancer with courage, humility and her own unique brand of humor. She believed that no one should have to face cancer alone, which inspired the creation of Gilda s Club in Three years later, Gilda s Club Chicago opened its welcoming Red Door. Since then, our mission has gained momentum. A study by the Institute of Medicine in 2007 found that ignoring the very real psychosocial health needs of patients and their caregivers is a failure to effectively treat the disease, plain and simple. After all, cancer treatment is meant not only to extend life but also to improve a patient s quality of life. This book is dedicated to our members, who all carry Gilda s spirit of joy forward at Gilda s Club Chicago. One laugh at a time. One member at a time. Photos: Getty Images 4 5

5 One laugh turns into many. 7

6 No one should have to face cancer alone. GILDA RADNER When Gilda faced cancer, she wasn t alone. She had her loving husband, Gene Wilder, supportive family and friends, caring doctors and nurses, as well as the staff and members of The Wellness Community in Los Angeles. She was surrounded by support and love. Which is why she so strongly believed no one should have to go through cancer alone, and there s always something you can do. Her positive spirit of laughter and joy is now seen on the faces of every member at Gilda s Club Chicago. For anyone touched by cancer, from those who have been diagnosed to those who are related to or caring for others, Gilda s Club offers more than 300 free programs for the whole family, the whole time. Open the Red Door and you ll immediately feel warm and welcome. Smiling faces greet you at every corner. You ll smell delicious food being cooked, see beautiful art in the making and watch kids in Noogieland squeal with the delight of feeling safe, secure and free to simply be themselves. Now that joy has spread far beyond the walls of our original Clubhouse on Wells Street to hospitals, classrooms and workplaces all around the community. Over the past 15 years, Gilda s legacy has lived on in more than 12,000 members and participants throughout Chicagoland. And thanks to people like you, we can continue our mission to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. 8 9

7 A funny thing happened on the way to Gilda s Club... Based on the past 15 years, I can complete that sentence for many of the members I have known and for whom I care deeply. Tom discovered the benefit of making nutritional changes and spent the next five years teaching Optimum Health workshops for members. Nini found that over the course of living with cancer for nine years, involving her children while they were still young helped them with her recurrences. And John found the Club after his wife passed away and continues to support our efforts because, I didn t know how to be a widow at the age of 32. There are two things I ve discovered. One is how important it is to have a place where someone can share their story with people who understand. People diagnosed with cancer, caregivers, children all have their own voice. Cancer support for the whole family, the whole time isn t just a clever slogan it is what happens at the Club and in the community every day. The second is how healing Gilda s approach to living with cancer can be. She got involved with a support community. She lived with the humor that we experienced through her beloved Saturday Night Live characters. And she approached cancer based on the most basic tenant of improv, yes and. I have found yes and is the best way to approach life with and without cancer. Sincerely, LauraJane Hyde CEO 10 11

8 300 + Gilda s Club taught me how to laugh again. MATT, MEMBER SINCE 2008 free activities are offered every month at the Clubhouse and our satellite locations. 13

9 W E N D Y There is no security except for what you build inside yourself. Gilda This can be the worst and best thing that could ever happen to you. It makes you a better person. I ve been a member of Gilda s Club for only about a year. My sister in L.A. encouraged me to go, but I was very scared to go to a support group because I didn t want to talk about myself. But it s been the best thing that s happened to me since I was diagnosed. I decided from the beginning that I was going to be positive about all this. Because what am I going to do? Sit home and feel sorry for myself? I appreciate all the support my family gives me, but they don t totally understand. The people at Gilda s Club have helped me realize cancer can be the best and worst thing that could ever happen to you. It makes you change how you view the world and appreciate everything so much more. It makes you a better person. I ve been to Bulls and White Sox games, parties and I take a lot of classes like yoga, meditation and T ai Chi Chih. And it s all free. If I could talk to Gilda and all the people who have helped make that possible, I would simply say thank you for saving my life. Wendy, member since

10 C H R I S There are no guarantees. But there is you, and strength inside to fight. And always, there is hope. Gilda I learn more from the people here than I do at the hospital. When I was diagnosed with lymphoma back in 2006, I had no idea what I was in for. Then, the cancer spread to my kidney and throat, and that was a blow. But I figured, I was a veteran a grown-up I can take this. This is nothing. It was my daughter I was worried about. She was seven years old at the time, and she didn t understand what was going on about her daddy being sick. She came with me to Gilda s Club and participated in Noogie Nights and parties and saw a lot of other people with cancer, including kids. She found out it s not that bad. For me, I learn more from the people here than I do at the hospital. They speak doctor language and show me medical records, but here they speak people language and can tell me exactly what I m about to go through. I ve made a lot of good friends that will be friends for a long time. Thank you for making that happen for my family and me. Chris, member since

11 J E S S I C A If you re sad or scared or tired, it s fine. That ll change by the time you leave the Club. I heard about Gilda s Club from my brother-in-law who is really involved in Gilda s Club Metro Detroit. He lost his mother to breast cancer. Which is what I was diagnosed with in I got the most unfunny thing in the world, but I wanted to get people to laugh about it. Gilda At first, I didn t want to come. I thought I was too much of an emotional mess to talk to others. And I thought they would think I was too young to be there. I was wrong. No one has ever made me feel unwelcome. In fact, it s the exact opposite. When they say you can come as you are they really mean it. If you re sad, it s fine. If you re scared or tired, it s fine. Chances are pretty good all that will change by the time you leave the Club. Like when I come here for yoga. For me, it s group therapy with stretching. At Gilda s Club, you can say what s on your mind without anyone getting freaked out. I think that cancer blows chunks sideways, but I also believe that you get a choice in how you want to deal with it. Sure, I m still scared by cancer, I have a right to be. But being able to talk and laugh and cry with others makes all the difference. Jessica, member since

12 One laugh turns into many and spreads. 21

13 79 of every dollar donated provides free programming for our members and participants. Everyone encourages you to try things you never thought you could do. SANDRA, MEMBER SINCE

14 If you have cancer, do any activity, any event, just participate in your recovery. Gilda Between classes and activities and outside programs, Gilda s Club truly is for the whole family, the whole time. SARAH, VOLUNTEER AND MEMBER SINCE 2009 Gilda s Club Chicago hosts more than 300 activities per month at the main Clubhouse and in hospital sites throughout Chicagoland. We ve built a vast community of member-driven support that is an essential complement to medical care for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer at any age. CHILDREN: Noogieland is at the heart of everything we do for children of all ages at Gilda s Club Chicago. Whether they are living with cancer themselves or have a parent, sibling or friend with cancer, we provide a warm and safe environment where kids can be themselves, ask questions and simply have fun. TEENS: It s a tough age for anyone, even tougher when cancer touches a teenager s life. For year olds, we offer a wide variety of activities that range from support groups, to an Open Art Studio, to Teen Camp, to everything in between. ADULTS: Programs like healthy lifestyle workshops, educational lectures, social opportunities, support and networking groups, and resource referrals are designed to complement medical treatment. Our comprehensive community of care helps keep feelings of isolation under control while providing much-needed emotional and social support

15 Welcoming Red Doors in hospitals all across Chicagoland. Dreams are like paper, they tear so easily. Gilda Gilda s Club Chicago has grown beyond our Clubhouse on Wells Street to hospitals across the area, because cancer impacts the entire community. In fact, we have served community members from 92% of Chicago s ZIP codes. Psychosocial support is an essential complement to medical care, so we re proud to present programs in places where people are already receiving cancer treatment. We currently operate weekly programs at these major hospitals: Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children s Hospital of Chicago Mt. Sinai Hospital Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Hospital Rush University Medical Center University of Chicago Medicine and Comer Children s Hospital Looking ahead, there are plans to create additional satellites in more Chicagoland communities. So, our goal of building our community of support and hope clearly lives on

16 Gilda s grows far beyond the Clubhouse. Cancer has a terrible reputation; it needed someone to come in there to lighten it up. Gilda Last year, Gilda s Club Chicago hosted more than 17,000 visits at the Clubhouse, in hospitals, schools, workplaces and throughout the community. We ve also launched efforts to better serve diverse and underserved groups, including women of color, young adults and LGBTQ individuals. To extend our reach and commitment, we now offer groups in Spanish and Polish, and have formed a partnership with the Polish American Association. Our African- American program coordinator has helped us launch a new hospital site and grown our faith-based outreach into new areas of the community. Cancer in the Classroom has opened new doors by going out to schools to educate students and families touched by cancer. Students have been extremely receptive to our open talks about cancer, cancer support and what to expect when there is a diagnosis for themselves or someone they know. As Gilda believed, no one should face cancer alone. Our outreach programs take that vision into the community to touch as many lives affected by cancer as possible

17 92 % of all Chicagoland ZIP codes have been served by Gilda s Club. Everyone diagnosed with cancer needs access to social and emotional support. KIM, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY 30 31

18 The Cancer Support Community gives us strength to touch millions. In 2009, Gilda s Club Chicago became an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community, formed through the merger of Gilda s Club Worldwide and The Wellness Community where Gilda Radner received her introduction to cancer support in LA. As the largest professionally led network of cancer support in the world, the Cancer Support Community provides the highest quality emotional and social support to more than 1 million people across the globe. The programs we offer include healthy lifestyle workshops, educational lectures, social opportunities, support and networking groups, and resource referrals. They re all for free and offered to anyone whose life has been affected by cancer in any way

19 15 years of laughing in the face of cancer th Anniversary 1998 Gilda s Club Chicago opens our welcoming Red Door on Wells Street to anyone touched by cancer 2003 Associate Board forms Club awarded Sappi grant, resulting in Living 365 with Cancer workbook th Anniversary celebrated at first Agents of Hope Dinner Red Door Society launched celebrating the ongoing spirit of joy and laughter inspired by Gilda Radner 2002 Cancer in the Classroom launches to educate students at all levels on how to live in a world with cancer 2006 First satellite location opens at Advocate/Illinois Masonic Medical Center 2009 Gilda s Club Worldwide and The Wellness Community merge creating the Cancer Support Community the world s largest cancer support organization 36 35

20 Keep the laughs comin. 37

21 Fifteen years ago, Gilda s Club Chicago was a brand-new organization that opened due to the generosity of many individuals, including Ann Lurie, Andrew Alexander and Candice Rosen. Their vision that there should be a place providing free cancer support for the whole family, the whole time has grown beyond our flagship Clubhouse at 537 North Wells Street to an organization that provides programming within the hospital setting and offers educational programs that promote awareness and foster an environment of support in schools, businesses and the faith community. Laughter was and continues to be a backdrop for making our program welcoming, but the real business of Gilda s Club is much more serious. Tears, laughter, gratitude and fear the whole gamut of what it means to be human is on display each and every day at the Club and in the community. One can imagine that Gilda Radner perhaps never envisioned she would become one of the most beloved comedians of our time. One can be certain that she never envisioned that her idea that there should be a place for men, women, teens and children to gather those diagnosed with cancer and family members and friends would be as great if not an even greater legacy. With your help, more members of Gilda s Club Chicago can face cancer with courage and humor. With your continued support, more people can keep laughing even in the face of cancer. Thank you, Steven F. Molo Chairman, Governing Board 38 39

22 17, 275 visits last year at the Chicago Clubhouse, hospitals, schools, workplaces and throughout the community. It takes help from a lot of people to support our community. STEVEN, CHAIRMAN, GOVERNING BOARD 41

23 Thank you for helping us spread the laughter. 43

24 So if my life had to have cancer in it, cancer wasn t going to steal the limelight. GILDA RADNER 44 45

25 gildasclubchicago.org 537 NORTH WELLS CHICAGO, IL