Jabs for Life AYA Cancer Fellowship, Inc

10/04/2026

Thursday night was exactly what we hoped it would be.

Thank you to everyone who came out for Jabs AYA Facials with Friends at Mead People 716 — and, as always, to Nickel City Skin Spa + Boutique for walking us through skincare, guided meditation, and self facial massage.

Here's the thing about this event: the facials are the excuse. What actually happens is a room full of patients, survivors, caregivers, and the people who support them, talking about things that are hard to bring up anywhere else.

If you missed this one, there will be more! Follow along so you catch the next one.

09/30/2026

Today is National Previvor Day.

A previvor carries a genetic mutation — like BRCA1 or BRCA2 — that significantly raises their cancer risk, but hasn't been diagnosed. That means screenings, monitoring, and sometimes decisions about preventive surgery. For a lot of young adults, it means answering questions about their body and their future in their 20s and 30s.

It's a strange place to stand. People can struggle to understand why you're worried when nothing is wrong, and the appointments keep coming anyway.

Knowing your risk isn't the same as living in fear of it. And taking it seriously doesn't make you dramatic.

If cancer runs in your family, ask your doctor about genetic counseling.

Source: National Cancer Institute

09/30/2026

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

Thyroid cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women ages 15 to 30, and the second most diagnosed in women 30 to 45. It's about three times more common in women than men. If you're looking for a cancer that lands hardest on young adults, this is one of them.

The most common sign is a lump or swelling toward the front of the neck. Which is why the neck check exists, and why it takes about 30 seconds:

1. Hold a mirror and focus on the lower front of your neck, above the collarbone and below your voice box.
2. Tip your head back, keeping that area in view.
3. Take a sip of water and swallow while you watch.
4. Look for any bulge, lump, or something off-center.

One important caveat: a normal neck check doesn't rule anything out. Plenty of thyroid cancers never form a lump you can feel. So if something feels off — or sounds off, since hoarseness and trouble swallowing can be signs too — bring it up at your next appointment.

Sources: American Association of Clinical Endocrinology; Mayo Clinic

09/29/2026

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate cancer isn't an AYA cancer — it mostly affects men over 50. But it shows up in this community all the time, in the fathers, uncles, and grandfathers of the young adults we serve.

It's also one of the more inheritable cancers. Mutations like BRCA2 raise the risk of prostate cancer and of breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers — so a prostate cancer diagnosis in your family can be information that matters for you, whatever your gender.

Knowing "cancer runs in the family" isn't the useful part. Knowing who, and how old they were, is. A relative diagnosed at 72 and one diagnosed at 45 mean very different things.

So ask. Then bring the answers to your next appointment.

Source: National Cancer Institute

09/28/2026

Here's one thing you can do this month that could literally save someone's life.

Leukemia and lymphoma are two of the most common cancers in adolescents and young adults. For many of those patients, the best shot at a cure is a blood stem cell or marrow transplant from a matched donor — and about 75% of patients don't have a match in their own family. Their cure depends on a stranger signing up.

September is also Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and the same registry serves those patients too. More than 75 diseases can be treated with a transplant.

Joining the NMDP registry (formerly Be The Match) takes about 10 minutes: order a free swab kit online, swab your cheek, and mail it back with prepaid postage. You can register if you're 18 to 35, and you stay listed until you're 61.

Worth knowing: matches depend on inherited markers, so people most often match someone of similar ethnic background. Patients from diverse backgrounds have a much harder time finding a donor — which makes who signs up a life-or-death question.

Join at nmdp.org.

Source: NMDP

09/24/2026

Today is World Cancer Research Day. 🔬

Clinical trials are how cancer treatment gets better — and adolescents and young adults are among the least likely patients to be in one.

Here's what makes that worse: for AYAs, the odds depend heavily on where you land. Research has found that young adult patients treated at a children's hospital enrolled in clinical trials at around 26%, compared to about 4% of those treated at an adult hospital. Same age range. Same diseases. Very different access.

That's the AYA gap showing up in the place it matters most — whether a young person gets a shot at tomorrow's treatment instead of yesterday's.

Research funding and trial access for AYAs haven't kept pace. That's what we're asking people to pay attention to today.

Source: NIH/PubMed Central — research on AYA cancer clinical trial enrollment and treatment setting.

09/23/2026

Today is Rare Cancer Day, and it belongs to our community more than most people realize.

More than two-thirds of cancers diagnosed in young people are rare cancers. Sarcoma alone makes up about 15% of cancers under 20, and under 1% in adults. Germ cell tumors, rare leukemias and lymphomas — these are AYA cancers.

Here's what "rare" actually means in practice: fewer treatment options, less research funding, fewer clinical trials, and specialists who can be hours away. It does not mean unimportant, and it should never mean "you're too young for this."

Sources: National Cancer Institute, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program; NCI childhood and adolescent cancer statistics.

📣 Tonight: If you registered for "Organizations that Provide Resources for Cancer Survivors," Lori is on the panel — 6pm at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. See you there!

09/22/2026

September is Gynecologic AND Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Gynecologic cancers are not just an "older woman's disease." Cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers are diagnosed in women in their 20s and 30s — including women in this community — and the symptoms are the kind that get waved off. Bloating. Pelvic pain. Feeling full too fast. Irregular bleeding.

If it's new, persistent, and not like you — say so out loud, and keep saying it until someone listens.

09/22/2026

🚨 Don’t forget to register to come support Lori Jablonski and our adolescent & young adult community for tomorrow evening’s informative session sponsored by the Great Lakes Integrative Network. She will be joined by representatives from Wny Ovarian Cancer Project, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Hope Chest Buffalo, Breast Cancer Network Of WNY, and Blood Cancer United. Use this link or the QR code in the flyer to register:

https://www.kaleidahealth.org/classes-events/

It’s free! There will be free refreshments! It’s casual! It’s a great way to learn about resources available in the Western New York area and make new connects!

📍Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital - Ground Floor Conference Room

See you there!

WNY — if you've ever been diagnosed with cancer and finished at least one phase of treatment, this one's for you. 📣

Our own Lori Jablonski joins "Organizations that Provide Resources for Cancer Survivors: A Panel Discussion," an informative, supportive evening with representatives from local cancer support organizations. Free workshop, and you'll leave knowing exactly who's in your corner.

🗓️ Wednesday, September 23 · 6–8 p.m.
📍 Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Ground Floor Conference Room
1540 Maple Road, Williamsville, NY 14221
🅿️ Free parking · Light refreshments
📝 RSVP by Tuesday, September 22

Registration is required — it helps the team plan snacks and educational materials for everyone attending. Register here https://www.kaleidahealth.org/classes-events/ and search "Cancer."

Come get connected. And come support Lori!

09/18/2026

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and here's the part almost no one talks about.

Kids diagnosed with cancer grow up. They become teenagers, then young adults. And somewhere in there, many of them age out of the pediatric programs that carried them through the hardest years of their lives — the support groups, the camps, the care teams who knew them by name.

They don't stop needing support. The support just stops.

That's the gap Jabs for Life exists to fill. If you're a survivor who got aged out, you're not too old for us. You never will be. 💛