CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — A diagnosis of cancer is one that impacts not only the person who receives it but their entire family.
For nearly a quarter century, though, Northeast Ohioans have had The Gathering Place to turn to help the family as a whole in this journey.
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“Whether that’s the patient, the caregiver, the patient’s family and all services offered through The Gathering Place are offered free of charge,” said Elle Macknin, a volunteer at The Gathering Place and as a breast cancer survivor one found comfort in its services. “Really anything that you can think of that would make you feel better as a person or family member or support person going through the journey as someone with cancer.”
News 5 caught up with Macknin and her two daughters Aubrey, 11 and Kinley, 8, at Fieldstone Farms Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls to talk about Animal Camp, a free program for children ages six to 10 impacted by cancer held at a variety of locations throughout the Cleveland area. Animal Camp pairs children with animals at partnered sites and offers a unique therapeutic and recreational experience to enhance communication skills, develop coping and problem-solving skills, and build caregiving and nurturing behaviors.
“I think one of the hardest things for me hearing you have cancer, still it gives me chills is, how am I going to tell my kids,” said Macknin, who said at the time she was prepared herself for the physical fight ahead “but what my kids are going through emotionally I don’t know how to help them.”
That’s when a social worker at UH told her about The Gathering Place and urged her to call, which she immediately did.
“They step by step walked through the different options as far as when to tell the kids, how to tell the kids,” she said, and they enrolled them in some of the programs offered at their two centers in Beachwood and Westlake.
“So the kids could go there and go to fun activities and see other kids there and play and still be kids but also understand that this is now our family’s reality.”
One of the programs was the weeklong Animal Camp and Fieldstone Farm.
“There’s a lot of different programs that can help you like socially, physically, emotionally,” said Aubrey Macknin of her experience.
The Macknins came by this day to promote The Gathering Place’s upcoming 5K on June 2 at Beachwood Place, which raises the funds that make programs like this possible.
“Race Day gives us the special opportunity to celebrate all of those we’ve had the privilege to walk with on their individual cancer journey,” said Michele Seyranian, CEO of The Gathering Place. “It is because of the amazing generosity and engagement of the community that we can continue to help everyone who walks through our doors as they face a life altering cancer diagnosis, we cannot thank them enough, without them, there is no us.”
This year’s event is expected to draw more than 3,500 participants with a fundraising goal of $425,000, which directly funds the free services offered at The Gathering Place, including children and young adult programming, art therapy, nutrition and exercise classes, support groups, education and more.
Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. the day of the Race, with family activities including face painting, games, music and more, all held in Celebration Village beginning at 8 a.m. A National Cancer Survivors Day ceremony begins at 8:45 a.m., with the Race kicking off at 9 a.m. An award ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. To register or donate online visit racefortheplace.org.
In revisiting with the horses at Fieldstone, Aubrey and Kinley were all smiles in brushing the horses out and in painting what it was they took from their experience with Aubrey writing out the word “hope.”
“The Gathering Place makes you hopeful,” Aubrey said. “And it helps people in need of it and it gives them hope with what they’re, how they’re handling things.”
