May 1, 2020

By Anne Dabbs, 
NCAN TN Chapter Leader, NET Patient

At the age of 88, my otherwise healthy father, pictured above, was declared legally blind. My parents sold my childhood home and moved to a new town near my young family. After spending their entire married life together in the same home, in the same small, close-knit community, it was to be a tremendous adjustment. My parents handled it like champs! Most hurdles were managed quickly except, finding a new church family. They wanted one similar to the one they were reluctantly leaving behind, the one where they had volunteered in almost every capacity. Finally, my parents announced they had found their new church home!

The secret combination of the right fit was that my parents, even though well past their “prime years”, needed to feel needed. They still wanted to be able to contribute to their community. Even now, I can still see the delight in my father’s eyes as he proudly claimed that he had found his new position. “I will be one of the multitudes!”, he exclaimed.

I share this story with my Neuroendocrine Community because so many of us have been reduced in some capacities of our former selves. Jobs, relationships, and expectations are frequently disrupted as we learn to live our new Nets lives. But, we too, can be a viable, contributing part of the Multitudes! NCAN encourages you to be a part of our action for increasing awareness for our rare disease. We can educate ourselves about our disease and share that information, and our experiences with others. We can be a part of the effort to improve and support continued research for Neuroendocrine Cancer.

Since 2003, NCAN has led our Nets community in bringing emotional support and accurate information by providing an information hotline 365 days a year. Their yearly regional and biennial National Conferences provide presentations and interactions with respected Nets physicians, technicians, and hundreds of nets patients. Their network of Regional Chapter Support Groups now reach from the East Coast to the West Coast.

2020 is providing the springboard for more NCAN opportunities for you to be one of our multitudes. Three regional conferences are scheduled for fall 2020. Our Zebra Gala will be held July 25th in Charlotte, NC, and our Chapter Support Groups are actively embracing the world of virtual meetings. In July, NCAN will announce the details and open registration for our next National Conference to be held in March 2021 in Atlanta!

Please visit the NCAN website and check out the Resource Room and Upcoming Events to see how you can make a difference by becoming one of our multitudes.

Happy Father’s Day from all of us at NCAN.

Find out more about how YOU can help the NET Community.

Disclaimer: NCAN blog posts are the opinions of its writers and are not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Please consult your Health Care Providers for individual concerns.