PROGRAMS
When you are living with a rare disease like appendix cancer/PMP, you can feel isolated and alone. Few people around you really understand what you are going through. That’s why PMP Pals offers several programs to connect patients and caregivers. Together, we support each other and build the emotional resilience you need to meet the challenges of this rare disease.
Click on the links below to learn more and join in. And, caregivers, these programs are not just for patients -- they are for you, too! A boost of peer support may be just what you need to get through a tough day.
HOPE ZOOM | SUPPORT GROUP CALLS
Twice a week, patients and caregivers meet through Zoom to encourage each other and talk about topics of interest like treatments, nutrition, and strategies to handle the emotional stress of the disease. Peer-to-peer support is vital to navigating successfully the unknowns and nuanced landscape of appendix cancer.
We also host Clinical Presentations that feature a leading medical specialist to present on various topics of interest. These Clinical Presentations are open to patients, caregivers, friends, family, and the medical community.
FREE 1-on-1 MENTORING
Navigating the landscape of a rare disease like appendix cancer can be daunting, exhausting, lonely, and scary.
Let us connect you to a Mentor who will talk you through the process of finding an appendix cancer specialist, explain treatment options, share expectations for immediate and long-term futures, and serve as your connection to the Hope needed to go the distance with this tricky disease. We find this free service most helpful to those newly diagnosed, but it's also helpful to have a point person you can bounce ideas or vent to along your journey.
GET WELL + MORE CARDS
Get Well Cards and More Cards is one of PMP Pals’ longest-running and most loved programs. Members of our Hope Team and volunteers send handwritten cards filled with encouragement, comfort, and hope to Pals facing surgery, treatment, hospitalization, or another challenging time .You may request cards for yourself or on behalf of a family member, caregiver, or friend. Please share only the information you are comfortable providing. The information included in the “Reason for Request” and “Additional Information” sections may be shared with volunteer card writers so they can personalize their messages.
BARE BOTTOM BEARS
A Bare Bottom Bear is a classic teddy bear dressed in a hospital gown and mailed to bring comfort, joy, and a smile during surgery or another challenging treatment. You may request a bear for yourself or submit a request on someone else’s behalf.
MENTORING
Our Mentor Program connects an experienced volunteer with another patient or caregiver to help answer questions, share experiences, and listen to concerns. If you want to give back to our peer support community, consider volunteering to become a Pals Mentor.
BARAD'S BLANKETS
Barad's Blankets, donated by The Barad Family, provides Pals worldwide with a gesture of comfort. Receive a cozy, plush blanket by mail, as you head into (or home from) surgery or other challenging treatment. Barad's Blankets symbolizes what we want every Pal to know: no matter what you are going through, you are not alone.
INFO@PMPPALS.NET
Have a question about PMP Pals, appendix cancer, PMP, or peritoneal surface malignancies? Need to talk someone who understands? Send us an email, and we’ll get back to you. We’ll use our years of experience helping patients and caregivers and working with supportive specialists to find an answer for you. Of course, we cannot provide medical advice, but we can help you find medical providers who know about this disease. And, we can share the patient or caregiver perspective on matters like preparing for a hospital stay, getting through chemo, or post-surgery recovery.
SOCIAL MEDIA
On our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn social channels, we share weekly news including upcoming HOPE ZOOM meetings; invitations to special guest & physician presentations; articles on treatments, medical advancements, and mental health; and blog posts that bolster the patient and caregiver experience.
You can also subscribe to our YouTube Page for videos about appendix cancer and PMP.