Event Type: Virtual (Zoom Session)
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM CT / 5:00 PM MT / 4:00 PM PT
Who Can Attend: This free educational webinar and panel is well suited for parents, caregivers, friends, family, and professionals.
Cost: Free
Pickles Group is collaborating with partners and advocacy organizations to bring you a free live webinar and parent panel focused on the unique experiences of families navigating rare cancers while parenting.
Although each rare cancer diagnosis is uncommon, rare cancers collectively make up about 25% of all cancer diagnoses, meaning many families are facing a path that can feel unfamiliar and hard to find support around.
Telling kids about a parent or guardian’s rare cancer diagnosis can be hard, but research shows that open, age-appropriate conversations help reduce children’s worry and support their social-emotional wellbeing.
Our Chief Clinical Officer, Kelsey Mora, LCPC, CCLS, will share practical guidance on how to talk with kids about cancer, alongside a panel of families sharing their lived experience navigating parenting through rare cancer.
Register to receive:
A free digital copy of the Pickles Family Cancer Support Kit
The webinar Zoom link
A recording to watch on your own time
Panel Members
Kristen Palma, TargetCancer Foundation President, Spouse/Caregiver
I'm Kristen Palma, mom of a 19 year old son. My husband Paul was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma at age 38, when our son was just a year old. While Paul was in the midst of treatment, he founded TargetCancer Foundation to advance research and treatment options for patients with rare cancers. He couldn't accept that just because his cancer was rare, research was not focused on it and there were no options for him. After he died in 2009, my brother and I decided to continue the foundation and I have served as President since 2010. Before that, I worked as a Victim Witness Advocate in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Boston, where I met Paul. I later worked as a project manager for youth development programs for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the Public Affairs Director for the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance. I received my BA from Skidmore College and a Masters in International and Public Affairs from Columbia University.
Eric Soares, Patient, husband, father
Hello. My name is Eric and my major life upheaval occurred in January 2022 when I was diagnosed with Stage 3B intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. I've been married for 22 years now and we have two kids who are now 16(F) and 12(M). We've been incredibly fortunate to have so much support from our employers, family, and community. But, ultimately, it's the 4 of us who have to manage things day-to-day and it's been quite the experience so far from initially breaking the news to the kids, through all the different treatments to date, and scan results to where we are now. I'm very happy to be here today to share all I've learned thus far with anyone who is experiencing the same or similar things, and anyone supporting those who are.