CLEVELAND — In honor of National Cancer Survivor Day, The Gathering Place hosted its 22nd Race for the Place.
The Gathering Place is a nonprofit that provides programming and resources to help cancer patients and their families. In order to raise money, they host an annual race.
What You Need To Know
- The Gathering Place is a nonprofit that provides programming and resources for cancer patients and their families
- It hosted its first Race for the Place since the pandemic
- The CEO’s daughter was diagnosed with a rare blood and bone cancer as a child
- The event has raised more than $319,000 of the organization’s $350,000 goal
“All of the dollars that are raised go directly into our programming,” said Michele Seryranian, CEO of The Gathering Place. “It’s how we’re able to keep our programming free of charge.”
Seryranian has a special place for The Gathering Place outside of her role as CEO. Her daughter was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a rare type of blood and bone cancer, at four years old.
“The gathering place helped us to find the top AML specialist, she has acute myeloid leukemia who was located in Seattle, Washington and they consulted with the team here in Cleveland at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and she was able to fight the odds,” said Seryanian.
Alique Topalian (center) sits with her parents Michele Seryranian and Mourad Topalian. (Photo courtesy of Alique Topalian)
Her daughter, Alique Topalian, received a bone marrow transplant and later gave back to the gathering place as a volunteer and intern. She’s spent her educational career dedicated to cancer research, recently receiving her doctorate at the University of Cincinnati.
She felt she had her whole life and career ahead of her until she started experiencing symptoms that felt all too familiar.
“Just after my grant got submitted, I ended up relapsing, and that just started the cancer journey all over again, in a whole new way,” said Topalian.
Unlike the first diagnosis, Topalian now had education and research experience. According to research done at UC Davis, cancer remains a leading cause of non-accidental deaths among 15 to 39-year-olds.
The research also showed that many cancer treatment centers don’t have many resources to help young adult patients who may face psychosocial problems because of their diagnosis. The problem has been Topalian’s primary focus in her research and her own journey.
“You and your doctor, going over concerns, going over quality of life, going over what you want as well,” said Topalian. “Not just being told this is exactly how you should do it, and moving forward, you should be having an active care plan.”
Topalian is now healthy and in remission. She leaned on The Gathering Place once again for resources and support. While her journey with cancer isn’t over, she said it’s places like The Gathering Place that make you feel seen and taken care of every step of the way.
“Your care doesn’t just stop because active treatment is over and that’s another point that we’re trying to raise awareness for in our community,” said Topalian. “To know that treatment doesn’t just end because the active or the cancer chemotherapy infusion ends, it can go on for much longer than that.”
The Gathering Place supports cancer patients of all ages through free programs and resources. Seryranian said everyone in attendance was happy to be together again.
“People just left very grateful to be able to be there, grateful for the services that the gathering place provides and grateful that they are able to give back,” she said.
The Gathering Place already has raised more than $319,000 of its $350,000 goal. For more information, visit The Gathering Place website.
