Cancer can’t stop college searches at University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital

College and career fair offers young patients a glimpse of their future – and guidance on getting there

Cancer disrupts anyone’s life, but for a young person it can mean the loss of many traditional milestones – birthday parties, school dances and so much more. The Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program, part of the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic, held an event to bring a little bit of normalcy to their patients with the inaugural “Unlock Your Future” college and career fair targeted towards AYA patients, all of whom are between the ages of 15-29.

On March 2, 42 patients met with college and university representatives, as well as trade programs. The fair provided guidance that many teens get through their high schools but may have been unavailable to these patients, as cancer can disrupt regular school attendance.

The fair was part of the Providing Assistance With School (PAWS) Program, which supports patients with their educational goals, whether it be working with staff and teachers to educate them about a patient’s condition, coordinating home instruction, or even working with patients already in college in terms of financial aid, class registration and anything else that may be affected by a serious diagnosis.

The fair not only brought a sense of normalcy to young people’s lives who have been anything but normal, but also gave them a glimpse of the future that may await – one where the walls around them are no longer a hospital room, but perhaps one in a college dorm.