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A key focus of Rebounders is to make survivors aware that they are not alone in dealing with the |
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constant challenges that follow survival of
childhood cancer. Through creating regular get-togethers, new |
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friendships have developed resulting in a special community of survivors
provide support to each other.
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Rebounders currently hosts twelve events a year. All are currently in the Toronto area; however our goal |
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is to encourage the development of chapters in major Canadian cities. |
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It is important that distance and financial situation does not stand in the way of Survivors attending our |
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programs. To help members get safely and comfortably to planned events we have developed a Travel |
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Help program. Survivors can apply to Rebounders Canada for financial travel assistance, funds |
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permitting, so all who wish to participate can. Click here to download a Request form. |
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To encourage members to keep in touch with new found friends in a low-tech and inexpensive way, we |
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have developed a membership directory consisting of a fellow members name, address, telephone # and |
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email address, date of birth, type of cancer they had and the year of diagnoses. Friends of Rebounders |
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and other groups we know and are assisted with are also included. To keep everyone feeling involved, we |
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send out birthday cards and Christmas cards in December. |
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To keep our members and their families as well as friends of Rebounders informed of events either |
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planned, or in the process of planning,
we have designed and published our own newsletter. All are |
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encouraged to send in stories, pictures and articles of interest. Reflections is currently published |
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quarterly and is mailed out to all Survivors as well as being posted on the website. |
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Members of Rebounders play an important role in printing and mailing the monthly newsletter. |
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Rebounders Canada is continuously on the lookout for new and innovative ways to raise funds to finance |
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our programs. Our approach is three pronged. Projects must be people oriented, environmentally |
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friendly and community minded. All the funds raised go entirely to Rebounders Canada's projects Our |
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two main sources of funds are; |
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The annual "A New Life Dinner" |
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direct debit monthly donations |
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The A New Life Dinner is not only a major fundraiser, but also an important evening for our Rebounders, |
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who not only participate actively but use the occasion to tell the story of their experiences as a cancer |
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survivor before a large group of friends, familiesand supporters. This is an inspiring evening for all who |
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attend, making the raising of funds secondary to the celebration of individual accomplishments of |
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survivors. |
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An essential activity is the ongoing process of locating adult survivors of childhood cancer, making them |
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aware of Rebounders Canada's supportive activities and getting them to join us in our quest for real |
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friends. |
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Rebounders believe in creating friendships based on mutual caring and understanding between survivors |
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and with others. In this way, our goal to help Survivors of childhood cancer thrive, not just survive will |
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be achieved. |
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We extend a warm welcome to new members so that they can reap the rewards of being part of a |
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friendly, caring group of like survivors. |
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A new initiative for 2008 is to equip and train our members with laptops to help in communications and |
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development of life skills. Many survivors are slowed down by the incredible damage caused by the |
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removal of tumours surgically and by treatment with chemotherapy and radiation (especially cranial and |
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full body radiation). When this treatment occurs in children during the formative period of life, some |
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aspects of their normal development can be impaired. |
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Many of our survivors find that the effects are subtle but nonetheless have significant impact on |
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everyday living. For example, although thinking is not impaired, the ability to write legibly, with speed and |
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with correct spelling and grammar is more difficult and time consuming than with the broader population. |
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Writing a letter or a story to submit to our newsletter can be a challenge. |
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Some of our members have become quite adept with using the computer and would like to see many |
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more survivors equipped with laptops so that they can communicate more effectively and gain more out |
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of life by being connected to each other and the broader world in ways they currently are not. |
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Because many of our members do not have the financial resources to purchase computers, we see |
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help our members acquire and learn to use their computers. |
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Our supportive book writing program is designed to help survivors and their families start to deal with |
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their past in a positiveway. Rather then bury the events of the past this encourages them to get the |
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thoughts and feelings of that time down on paper and out of the mind where those memories, feelings |
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and thoughts can cause pain. At Rebounders have a saying that goes like this |
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"One must deal with the past in order to live today to the fullest and look forward to tomorrow with great anticipation" |
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We would like to establish groups of adult survivors of childhood cancer all across Canada in their own |
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region with the idea of getting together to celebrate life and have fun! These groups would follow the |
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model of Rebounders Canada - that is based on the idea that friendship and acceptance brings incredible |
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healing. |
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Rebounders Canada strives to support its members who have developed a cottage
Industry around their |
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talents. We encourage creating products that are useable, unique and environmentally friendly and thus |
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marketable items. One way we help is byrenting on behalf of a member tables at various public bazaars |
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throughout the year where survivors can sell their products and receive the full benefit of their labour. |
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