Jan Adrian ~ One of our HeroesJan Adrian is the Visionary for Healing Journeys and designer of a 2 day conference called Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to ThrivingTM. We were privileged to meet Jan when we volunteered in her office and then got to work at the conference in 2003. It was a life changing experience for us. She puts on these conferences for cancer survivors and their families free of charge and they are life changing for everyone who attends.
About Jan & Healing Journeys: Healing Journeys was founded as a result of a personal cancer experience. In 1989 Jan Adrian became one of the 1.8 million women in this country diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatments recommended to Jan focused on the physical body, leaving psychological, social, and spiritual needs unmet.
Jan had a mastectomy, a course of chemotherapy, and 35 radiation treatments. She felt these were necessary treatments, but she knew that treating the physical body only was not enough to heal her. Since Jan had spent seven years teaching seminars to health professionals on healing from within, she knew, in the words of Dr. Lawrence LeShan:
The person exists on many levels….physical, psychological and spiritual….and none of these can be reduced to any other. To move successfully toward health, all must be treated.
Combining the needs she felt as a cancer survivor with her experience in teaching seminars, Jan designed a two-day conference called Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to ThrivingTM.
To produce this conference, Healing Journeys was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1994.
To date Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to ThrivingTM has been presented 26 times. Since 1996, when it was first offered at no charge, attendance has grown more than 600 percent, from an average of 150 attendees in 1994-95 to an average of 1350 attendees at our last two California conferences.
The Purpose of the Conference
The purpose of the conference is to educate, inspire, celebrate, and connect all whose lives have been touched by cancer or any life-altering illness. This includes those living with a diagnosis as well as their friends, family, support persons, and health professionals. Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to ThrivingTM offers resources to support physician directed care and effectuate healing the whole person.
The conference includes speakers, performers, music, humor, healing stories, and networking time – all aimed at inspiring and encouraging people to strengthen their own healing potential and their ability to thrive. For many patients, there is no “cure”, but often healing is available. We strive to create an experience that makes a genuine difference in the recovery of patients and the practice of healthcare.
Our Results
Because this event is free of charge, it is accessible to everyone and attracts an average of over a thousand people each year. Attendees leave the conference empowered with knowledge to augment their medical program, inspired by the stories of others, uplifted by knowing they’re not alone, and stirred by the power of music and laughter.
To quote our participants:
….it was the missing piece to all that I have experienced since my diagnosis with cancer over a year ago….. It was the first experience that I have had that addressed my whole being, and in such a loving, informative, inspirational, and caring way.
Our FutureEven though I’ve attended support groups and had a personal therapist, and have lots of community support, it took this conference for me to access my emotions and experience about cancer, and to move toward acceptance.
Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to ThrivingTM will continue to be offered in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and other states as invitations and funding materialize. Click here to find out ways you can support us.
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Carole Peccorini ~ One of our HeroesOne of our special heroes is Carole Peccorini from Sonoma, California. In 2005 Carole Peccorini founded The Butterfly Project to raise over $60,000 to send 10 East African girls to college. As of September 2009, they had 9 young women starting college! Carole continues her work at home and abroad working with young and old - helping others find their purpose and empowerment. She has been a shining light for us. She shares of her wisdom and love unselfishly. We are blessed to call her friend.
A worldwide conversation - The creators of this documentary wondered.... "What if we invite teens in the Sonoma Valley, CA, to come together and have a conversation about what kind of world they want? What do they want to do to help create that better world? What if we invite students from Banjika Secondary School in rural Tanzania to engage the same questions? What if we create a documentary and hold these two conversations together?"
The Big Idea for a teen video documentary began, sparkling with intriguing possibility and quivering with uncertainty. Would anyone show up? Would they be willing to talk? It was clearly an experiment.
One of our special heroes is Carole Peccorini from Sonoma, California. In 2005 Carole Peccorini founded The Butterfly Project to raise over $60,000 to send 10 East African girls to college. As of September 2009, they had 9 young women starting college! Carole continues her work at home and abroad.
Please Visit the Website Below To Purchase The Video Or Learn More About This Ongoing Work and Carole.
TEENS REACHING ACROSS THE WORLD
