Cancer Active, Inc.
Cancer Active
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Purposeful movement or exercise, though known as both a preventative and therapeutic part of any wellness plan, is not prescribed or in conjunction with cancer therapy. Ideally, healthy and active lifestyles would be a part of cancer therapy at the outset. Throwing Bones' vision is to see a collaborative healthcare environment that encompasses all parts of a patients health, well-being and quality of life.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Cancer Active Education
Cancer Active Education engages experts for panels, webinars and lectures to discuss timely topics surrounding healthy and active lifestyles for individuals living with cancer. This education series is to engage providers, coaches, nutritionists and patients.
Cancer Active Self-Assessment Series
Throwing Bones proposes two series of videos and accompanying literature to encourage patients to stay health and active through treatment.
With the help of this grant, Throwing Bones through its website, and direct correspondence with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, personal trainers, therapists and healthcare providers, will create handout materials, and a series of printed materials and videos to assist MM patients with physical self-assessments and the creation of a personal physical fitness plan. The videos themselves will be used to share and gather data from patients so as to help them determine their current abilities and limitations and to move them forward.
Part 1.
The first series will be only be 7 videos with the sole intention of establishing a baseline interaction with the patients. The videos will be developed with the guidance of cancer-focused fitness trainers, physical therapists and oncologists. The patient will receive guidance (self-guided) in establishing a baseline assessment of where they should start with a physical fitness plan. Throwing Bones will receive data to help establish a better long-term plan of maintenance and improvement with regards to improving patient fitness level, the patient’s individual goals, and quality of life.
Printed booklets will act as a companion to the initial 7 videos that can be distributed via the website. Funds will also be used to design the handouts and to produce video content that will be engaging, informative and of good quality.
Kenny Capps, CPT, Executive Director, along with board members, committees, interns, and volunteer healthcare providers will implement a 7-part video series that is with a companion 8-page booklet that will be shipped to each myeloma patient with the end result to encourage, inspire and activate cancer patients (with a focus on multiple myeloma) to stay healthy and active through treatment.
Both the videos and the booklets will address, somewhat universally, (i.e., not specific to each individual's disabilities) an assessment and activation of patients to regularly, consistently, and purposefully move in order to be healthy.
The 7 points are:
1. General Health Evaluation and body composition testing. This includes a self-assessment taking into consideration, age, recent history of active movement, and all known health considerations.
2. Cardiovascular endurance.
3. Strength endurance. Practical body weight activity. Purposeful movement to encourage and supplement every day tasks.
4. Flexibility. Static and dynamic stretching. Yoga positions without over stressing the body.
5. Active Recovery. What does active recovery look like to you? How is Active Recovery different than rest?
6. Self-care. It's a popular phrase, but what does your self-care look like. Are you considering both physical and mental care? What about your home life?
7. Nutrition. What we eat is loaded, and we invest a great deal into food. What should you eat? When should you eat? What if you struggle to eat because of cancer or medications?
The booklet will follow the video series, and can be used as a stand alone reference to guide patients, caregivers and healthcare providers in a journey to be healthy and active through treatment.
• The first task will be to script the booklet series, outlining each one:
1. identifying a problem or challenge,
2. examples of overcoming that challenge,
3. creating a call to action for the the reader/patient, and
4. assisting the reader/patient with a self-assessment of each action taken.
• Next will be to script the videos to match the content to each point in the booklet.
• After scripting, design for the booklets will take approximately 30 hours of design time.
• Once design is completed and approved, 1,000 8-page booklets will be printed in full-color.
• Each patient-participant or interested healthcare provider engaged through the website, social media and in person can sign up to view the series. If they agree to supply their address, the companion booklet will be sent to them directly.
• Throwing Bones staff or interns will ship directly and will engage with each participant to elicit feedback from the series.
Cancer Active Coaching Network
Individuals living with blood cancer, after an initial physical assessment, will be introduced to 20 or more videos or connected with local healthcare providers, fitness experts, coaches, nutritionists and other expert to achieve stated goals. Based on the baseline fitness assessment of Part 1, the patients will view more instructional videos and relationships will be established with locally accessible professionals to assist with these fitness programs and to encourage healthy and active lifestyles. All of these plans will seek to use extrinsic (external) motivators establish intrinsic (internal) motivators for each patient to increase fitness levels and pain management.
Goals and Outcomes
Myeloma Patients will be directly impacted by, not only having access to online information and personal assessment of their current fitness abilities and limitations, but also to local resources for improving and maintaining their fitness levels.
Goals:
1. Engage with cancer patients, starting with those with Multiple Myeloma that have the desire to be as healthy and active as they can be through treatment
2. Learn from participants. Allow cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare providers to interact with Throwing Bones allowing feedback to update Part 1 and to begin scripting for Part 2.
Advancing the patient health and benefiting the community
This series, if funded properly could address needs of the community on multiple levels:
OUTREACH AND AWARENESS
Despite the current average age at diagnosis, MM does not solely affect people over the age of 19, partly because, even though patients are afflicted with more symptoms, every caregiver, friend and loved one surrounding the patient is traumatically impacted by this cancer.
Throwing Bones' mission, programs and vision surrounds improving quality of life, the children of patients suffer, perhaps the most. Cancer can rob children of time with their parents long before they have passed away. Failing to experience life because of the ill effects of the chronic illness leads to increased isolation and a lack of involvement with family. Cancer Society of Finland, Suomen Syöpäpotilaat ry. Nuoren perheen selviytymisopas. Helsinki, 2002.
An increase in activity leads to increased ability to move, and Throwing Bones aims to ease that burden on the families of patients with Multiple Myeloma.
EDUCATION ABOUT THE DISEASE AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Cancer is scary.
It has been assumed, incorrectly, that injuries and illness - especially terminal diseases that often increase the fragility of our bones - should be treated tentatively and with less activity. The misinformation persists, not only within patient groups and networks, but also amongst some healthcare providers.
Patients have often been encouraged to “take it easy” or not push through discomfort for fear of breaking a bone or otherwise making their situations more dire or scarier.
However, researchers and healthcare providers have known for decades the value of purposeful activity to men and women with cancer (Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018 Dec;99(12):2595-2620. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2018.04.008. Epub 2018 May 5) and other bone diseases. National Institutes of Health, NIH Pub. No. 18-7879-E “The idea is for patients to do whatever they can manage, as they will reap the benefits, from conditioning to emotional well-being to relapse prevention.” Exercise as part of cancer treatment, Monique Tello, MD, MPH. Harvard Health Blog. Despite this increasing awareness in the healthcare community, the value of purposeful movement has been slow in translating to the majority of patients, caregivers and even some healthcare providers.
As knowledgeable and inquisitive as most physicians are, they are not often trained to address the overall health (holistic) concerns of their patients. Medical Schools rarely teach to the value of physical activity, even if the students themselves understand the concept. Conroy MB, Delichatsios HK, Hafler JP, Rigotti, NA. Impact of a preventative medicine and nutrition curriculum for medical students. American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 2004; 27 (1): 77–80.
PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT
This series of videos and literature would not only address important missing information for patients, but for caregivers and healthcare providers as well. These can be used as tools to engage the patients, to take them to the next level of their treatments, and can empower them to feel as they are an active part of their recovery.
CREATING PATIENT COMMUNITY - ADDRESSING STIGMA AND ISOLATION
Patients will be be able to interact directly with Throwing Bones, healthcare providers and patient peers (if they so choose), removing them from isolation. Any stigmas associated with their condition or fitness failings can be addressed through education how to get fit, and the resources to be otherwise active.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planFinancials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Cancer Active, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/25/2024
Dawn Chitwood
Upper Limits Digital
Term: 2019 - 2024
Saad Usmani
Memorial Sloan Kettering
Dean Hart
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Shawn Lynch
Re/Max
MIchael Riotto
Patient Advocate
Rob Salmon
Retired
Renee Jolly
Biltmore Estate
Lynn Howie
BeiGene
Bruce Brolsma
Retired
Brenda Campbell
Retired
Tony Newberne
Personal Trainer
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: