FIGHT CHILDHOOD CANCER

WHOLEHEARTEDLY

WE STICK UP FOR THE LITTLE GUYS

The Thrive Fund aims to incorporate integrative healthcare services at UF Health Pediatric and Oncology Division of Shand’s Children’s Hospital to give every childhood cancer patient and their families the best chance at surviving their disease and continue thriving throughout their entire life. Through the addition of integrative and functional wellness practices, pediatric oncology treatment at the hospital will go beyond traditional medicine to not only cure childrens’ cancer, but the patient as a whole— from head to hoof.

OUR WHOLEHEARTED BELIEFS

We believe in treating patients as a whole, for their whole life, with our whole heart.

  • HEAD-TO-HOOF HEALTH

    Traditional medicine is vital in the fight against childhood cancer. Overall wellness is equally as important.

    A healthy, well-fueled mind, body & spirit can make a big difference for a little kid fighting cancer & we’re dedicated to incorporating integrative health & wellness practices to treat the whole patient— not just their illness.

  • LASSO MINDSET

    Childhood cancer is a terrifying & often times chaotic time for patients & their families. With so many things out of their control, we thrive to shift the focus to the things they can lasso.

    Nutrition, mental & physical activity, sleep & stress management, plus other wellness tools, can be learned to provide support & stability during times of uncertainty.

  • THRIVERSHIP APPROACH

    Survivorship begins at diagnosis for childhood cancer patients.

    Some of the very therapies that will save the child’s life can have serious life-threatening effects during treatment, remission & later on in life.

    Integrative wellness can give patients & their families the knowledge & resources they need to thrive from day one.

  • HERD SUPPORT

    It takes a whole herd to help a child buck kids cancer.

    We strive to educate the patient & their support system on integrative wellness so that they have the tools & resources needed to thrive during treatment & beyond.

    Because a patient’s herd is their heartbeat.

WALK·TROT·GALLOP

Much like the patients we thrive for, we’re still in our early years.

Fund a functional nutritionist for the UF Health Pediatric & Oncology Division at Shand’s Children’s Hospital. With emphasis on a balanced diet & health coaching specific to individual patient needs, the nutritionist will help guide children diagnosed with cancer & their families to power their fight against the disease. By prioritizing nutrition, patients can reduce their health risks during treatment, as well as chronic illnesses post-treatment, & ultimately boosting their quality of life.

Fund a whole host of integrative therapies, services & research to treat the whole patient & not just their illness. Promote physical, emotional & social function through nutrition & culinary medicine, mindfulness practices, sleep & stress management, physical & social engagement, & education to equip families with the tools to thrive during treatment & beyond.

Extend our efforts beyond the fund at UF Health & explore the possibilities of providing integrative wellness services, education & research to childhood cancer patients in a broader reach.

Because every childhood cancer patient & their herd deserves to THRIVE.

 

OUR ORIGIN STORY

How 2 little girls inspired the life of the Thrive Fund’s gold, horned ribbon.

  • Once upon a time, there lived a little girl and her big sister.

    The little girl had the spirit of a bull,

    while her sister the spirit of a feather.

    Both were blessed with hearts of gold,

    and together they carried the strength of a whole herd.

  • One day, the sisters were given terrible news:

    the bull-child was sick with a life-threatening illness.

  • As doctors and nurses sought to cure the little girl’s cancer with their medicines,

    the feather-child searched high and low for other ways to save her little sister.

    This long fight ahead would take the strength of a whole herd,

    and the feather-child found truth in battling her sister’s cancer by supporting her health as a whole;

    Mind, body and spirit— from head to hoof.

  • With her focus set on strong faith and positivity, healthy nutrition, physical activity, and overall wellness,

    the feather-child helped the resilient little girl stampede through the doctors’ treatment plans to overcome her aggressive illness.

  • No matter what was thrown their way,

    or how difficult the day,

    the bull-child dug her hooves in the mud

    and the feather-child pushed back with all her might.

  • The brave little girl, alongside her truth-seeking, big sister,

    bucked kids cancer and looked to put the scary ordeal in the past.

  • But their fight will never be over.

    The effects of the medicine that saved bull-child’s life,

    can impact her health for her whole life.

  • So the little girls thrive on...

    Because the spirit of a bull,

    the truths of a feather child,

    two sisters’ hearts of gold,

    and their strength of a whole herd

    is more than what the doctor ordered.

  • And thus began the Thrive Fund...

We can’t fight the cancer bully alone.