While most girls spend their teenage years enjoying high school and hanging out with friends, Kaely Kwitek of Orchard Park had to grow up much faster than that.
“When I was 16-years-old, I was diagnosed with stage 4 anaplastic large cell lymphoma,” said Kwitek. “I really didn’t want to get treatment and I didn’t want to go to high school and prom without hair. It was hard.”
As Kwitek got to know Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, she noticed there weren’t any support groups for her age. She had all of the support of her family and friends, but she wasn’t very interested in the support groups the hospital had to offer.
“There were more pediatric groups for young ages and there were no activities that interested me. They had finger painting and things like that, but I already felt weird having cancer. I didn’t know what those groups would be like.”
Kwitek then met a very special young lady at the hospital named Emily. While Kwitek still had her hair because she had just started treatment, Emily had already been through everything. She offered support to Kwitek in letting her know she was not alone in this.
“She was the person I would go to with my questions,” said Kwitek. “Her talking to me and reaching out… I didn’t want to go through treatment, I didn’t want to lose my hair, and she made everything more bearable.”
Realizing how important it was for her to have a friend like Emily, Kwitek decided she was going to do something to help other teenagers have a friend they could confide in as well. She started her very own foundation called Kaely’s Kindness to help teenage girls fighting cancer with their unique emotional, physical, and practical needs.
“I wanted to be someone else’s Emily. I wanted to make someone else feel like they were accepted and that they had support,” said Kwitek. “I wanted there to be a more relatable connection within the hospital, so you didn’t have to feel as alone.”
Kaely’s Kindness Foundation has now helped 55 girls in the Buffalo area dealing with cancer. The foundation is recommended by doctors and Women and Children’s Hospital as soon as a teenage girl is diagnosed. That way Kwitek can reach out to them immediately to give them the help and support they need to get through this difficult time.
“The first thing I do if we get a new contact is I let them know I’m right there for them,” said Kwitek. “Some are very hesitant, so we go to the hospital to meet with them face to face and talk to them about what to expect.”
The foundation also meets once a month at various locations to offer not only support to the girls, but also fun. Meetings include trips to the Buffalo Zoo, paint nights, the Escape Room, spa outings, and more.
“We ask the girls what they like to do,” said Kwitek. “And everything is paid for and the transportation is provided as well.”
Kwitek said it’s very rewarding to see the young ladies become good friends outside of the foundation. She overhears them making plans to hang out after their meeting and it simply warms her heart.
“Not just the girls, but also the moms form friendships,” said Kwitek. “It means so much to me to know that I am helping people, even if I’m only changing one girl’s life, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
For more information on Kaely’s Kindness Foundation visit www.kaelyskindness.org. You may also ‘Like’ Kaely’s Kindness on Facebook.
