Human Tribe Project

The Wellness Community

By Jaclyn Foutz, December 03, 2009

From my experience, when an otherwise healthy person finds out she has cancer, she goes through a multitude of emotions. Disbelief, denial, fear, anger, frustration, depression and loneliness to name a few. Apparently, these emotions are all very common. And, if the patient is able to express them, they are actually all very healthy. The trick is to eventually move beyond these negative feelings to focus on the positive. This isn’t always easy to do and it’s definitely not easy to do alone.

That’s where websites like Human Tribe Project and organizations like The Wellness Community can help.

Human Tribe Project allows you to connect with and receive support from your loved ones and your community. It’s a forum that lets loved ones remind you how important and loved you are. And, it’s a way for your community to show support by purchasing Tribe Tags to help fundraise to alleviate the cost of treatment.

The Wellness Community provides a different type of support. It’s a nationwide organization with local chapters in over 50 cities. Its mission is to provide support, education and hope to all people affected by cancer. All services offered are free to cancer patients and caregivers. Instead of connecting you with loved ones, it connects you with strangers, but strangers that know exactly what you are going through because they are often going through the same thing themselves. It can be hard to open yourself up to a support group of this type but when you do, the rewards are great. Oftentimes, the best way to lift your spirits is by helping to lift someone else’s.

These two organizations may take different approaches, but both are coming together to “connect and celebrate everyone touched by cancer” this Saturday, December 5, 2009 at the Cancer Connections Walk and Hope Café in Phoenix, Arizona. If you are in Phoenix, please check out the [website] (http://www.twccaz.org/events/cancerconnectionswalk.aspx) and join Human Tribe Project in its support of The Wellness Community. When we can all come together like this, we can all stay positive and have hope for the future.