It was party time at Seeds of Hope, Kaiser Permanente’s 12th annual free Cancer Survivors Day Conference and Celebration at its Santa Clara Medical Center campus June 9.
Zenaida Velasquez, a San Jose resident, 36-year KP member and cancer survivor, was dancing on the grass in the West Courtyard, doing the Cabbage Patch—an energetic dance from the 80s.
“Every day, we can learn something new. I’m getting a lot of information here,” Velasquez said.
“Also, this is a good event for socializing, to be with other people and find some friends,” Velasquez continued. “I said ‘Hi’ to my oncologist. I feel really energized!”
Approximately 800 KP members and neighbors participated in activities, visited educational booths staffed by nurse and doctor volunteers and took notes at 30-minute seminars. The happenings, including preventive health screenings, started inside the Homestead West Lobby and spread to the outdoor courtyard.
Sharkie, the San Jose Sharks’ mascot, played the outside crowd, giving a thumbs up, high-fiving and hugging. People wandered from booth to booth, dropping handouts into colorful KP shopping totes. A notary was on hand for those filing an Advance Health Care Directive. Elsewhere, you could answer a health question correctly, spin a wheel and win a prize.
Inside, people lined up for chair massages and yoga lessons. In a kids’ craft area, a grandma was painting a car on a small rock.
“It’s for my grandson,” she explained.
Hairdressers from Bal-Lance Salon in Saratoga cut donated hair to make free Wigs for Kids with cancer. In 2023, Bal-Lance cut 14,000 inches of hair. This year, 7,000 inches of ponytails from 15 people.
Underlying the festive atmosphere was the serious opportunity to learn life-changing health information at five lifestyle seminars.
At Heart Health, Stress and Cancer, attendees learned that cancer is the number two cause of mortality in the U.S. Heart disease is number one, with stress being a contributing factor.
“We can’t eliminate stress, but we can manage our body’s response,” said heart specialist Seema Pursnani, DM.
She pointed out that there is “compelling data for meditation to reduce stress” and that stress reduction techniques are very likely to have an impact on heart disease, even reducing plaque buildup.
“Mindset is really the key to habit change,” attendees learned at the seminar Changing Mindset to Change Behavior. Stephen R. Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” was quoted.
“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light this fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly,” Covey wrote.
KP members Mike Nelson and Sandra Gant from Saratoga left the seminars with the mindset to consume less alcohol, eat a more plant-based diet and continue to walk and bike to stay fit.
“There was so much information. This was absolutely worthwhile,” said Gant.
All sessions were recorded. They will be available online later this summer.
Greg Boesch, his son in his arms, chatted outdoors at the integrative oncology booth.
“We’re here because my mom is a cancer survivor,” said Boesch, a San Jose resident and first-time conference attendee.
He had already tried Tai Chi and watched a healthy cooking demonstration.
“This exceeded my expectations. It’s a fun outing for kids and focuses on healthy living habits,” said Boesch. “I expect to be here next year.”
