PV Reporter and MPN Cancer Connection are partnering with Imerman Angels and the Cleveland Clinic 4th Angel Mentoring Program to better serve the needs of our growing community.
We are very excited to announce these FREE support programs as we continue providing easy access to an expanding network of organizations serving the MPN community – David Wallace, CEO.
In the age of COVID, many MPN patients and their families are seeking virtual support to manage their mental and emotional health while learning how to navigate cancer. Patients are asking for more personal support with experienced mentors. There’s nothing like talking with a fellow patient (or caregiver) who has walked in your shoes and understands the problems you are going through.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been assisting PV Reporter readers for some time now with numerous support services, see below.
Peer to Peer help is out there folks, if you need personal assistance please touch base with one of these wonderful organizations, they are here to help:
Serving the MPN community with support services
What is Imerman Angels?
Imerman Angels’ mission is to provide one-on-one support to cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers. The organization was founded in 2003 by Jonny Imerman, who survived testicular cancer in his late 20s. While he was frequently visiting hospitals and doctors’ offices, he noticed other people didn’t have the same support he had. Although he had amazing family and friends who supported him throughout his diagnosis and treatment, Jonny was always wishing he had someone who had gone through his same journey and truly understood what it was like. He founded Imerman Angels to match cancer fighters and caregivers with people who have gone through similar experiences.
The world of cancer is ever-changing and ever-expanding. Since Imerman Angels’ inception, they have matched people with over 140 cancer types and subtypes, including MPNs and previvors, or people who do not have cancer but are at a higher risk. They provide support to people of all ages, all genders, anywhere in the world, with any cancer type, 100% free.
The Process
The first step to requesting support as a Mentee, or offering support as a Mentor Angel, is calling Imerman Angels at (877) 274-5529 or visiting their website at www.imermanangels.org.
To begin the process, Imerman Angels collects information about your experience with cancer, either current or past, and some general personal information such as your gender, age, and location. Finally, they will ask what you’re looking for out of this experience and any specific requests you may have before we begin the matching process. Each potential Mentee and Mentor Angel is engaged in this effort so Cancer Support Specialists can get to know them on a more personal level to facilitate the best match possible.
After collecting all of the information, Cancer Support Specialists search through Imerman Angels’ network of over 11,000 Mentor Angels to find the best, closest match for what the Mentee needs. They take cancer type, stage, treatments, age, gender, location, lifestyle and other specifics into account when going through the matching process.
This process is extremely personal; instead of being matched by an algorithm or automated process, Cancer Support Specialists reach out to each Mentee and Mentor Angel directly to ensure that both accept the match and have the information needed to make contact. Mentees and Mentor Angels manage their own relationships, but Imerman Angels will reach back out in a few weeks to make sure the match was successful and that they are happy with their new connection.
Each Mentee can have as many Mentor Angels as they need, and each Mentor Angel can mentor as many people as they can manage.
Imerman Angels by the Numbers
Imerman Angels is making a huge impact all across the globe.
- Imerman Angels has made over 46,000 matches in its 14 year history
- There are currently over 11,000 Mentor Angels in over 100 countries around the world
- The Imerman Angels network includes Mentees and Mentors with over 145 cancer types and subtypes
If you’re interested in seeking support as a Mentee, or providing support as a Mentor Angel, please visit www.imermanangels.org.
4th Angel Mentoring Program
Our Story
After recovering from cancer, Scott Hamilton, an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, identified three angels who helped him through his journey. Scott’s oncologist at Cleveland Clinic was his first angel; his oncology nurse was the second; and his family and friends were his third.
What he thought was missing was a fourth angel: someone who had been there and would understand what he was feeling. His idea to create a program so cancer survivors and patients could talk with their peers about the cancer experience has brought about survivors-to-patient/caregiver mentoring programs.
The 4th Angel Mentoring Program is an innovative, interactive approach to cancer support in which patients and caregivers are matched with trained volunteers. While emphasizing one-on-one contact, matches are primarily made based on similar age and cancer experiences to best empower caregivers and patients with knowledge, awareness, hope and a helping hand.
How does the program work?
Anyone diagnosed or caring for someone with cancer is eligible to be matched with a mentor. When a patient or caregiver requests a mentor, the program staff facilitates a match with respect to diagnosis, gender, and age. The mentor makes the initial contact with the patient to offer one-on-one support over the phone or e-mail.
What is a 4th Angel Mentor?
Not all angels have wings and halos. Some angels are people just like you who have had their world turned upside down by cancer and now want to share their knowledge with someone who is about to go through the same thing.
4th Angels are empathetic cancer survivors with firsthand knowledge. They are positive, supportive and able to give their time and life experience to help put a patient at ease. If this describes you and you would like to become a 4th Angel, we would love to hear from you.
Learn More About Participating
Website: www.4thangel.org
E-Mail: 4thAngel@ccf.org
Phone: 216.445.8734
Toll Free: 866.520.3197
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
Provides personalized support with trained staff on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs) as well as many forms of blood cancer.
MPN Cancer Connection is our 501(c)(3), non-profit sister organization. We help you become educated on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) so you can advocate for your own best treatment options, while having a better understanding of the disease.
