WINNETKA, IL — While in the hospital supporting her own family members who had been diagnosed with cancer, incoming New Trier High School sophomore Sophia Sun noticed a gap.
Sophia said she noticed that despite seniors being the portion of the population most affected by cancer, they are often the loneliest during treatment. She decided she would bridge the gap herself by starting her nonprofit Seniors Cancer Foundation in April.
“I started SCF when I was going through a really difficult time in my life. I had unfortunately had five of my really close family members diagnosed with cancer, and three of them had passed away. So this is a really personal problem to me,” Sophia said. “During my relatives' treatment time, I noticed how a lot of them emotionally slipped away, and how important emotional support is during treatment time.”
Earlier this month, SCF partnered with Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center, Gilda's Club Chicago, Endeavor Health, and other prominent hospitals, nonprofits, and corporate partners to provide emotional support through cards, care packages, and other patient-centered initiatives.
With the help of more than 1,000 student volunteers from New Trier’s class of 2030, as well as some adult volunteers, the SCF assembles gift baskets and writes cards to seniors undergoing treatment.