It can take young adult cancer survivors a decade to get back into life after treatment. David Victorson is the founder of True North Treks. He, along with his family members and team at TNT want to help young adults reconnect not only with themselves but also with nature after the most unnatural of treatments. 

David is an associate professor at the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is licensed in clinical psychology and a PhD. One area of his research focuses on the health benefits of mindfulness meditation and yoga and their stress reducing and quality of life enhancing effects for people with cancer.

Some ideas start off as a whisper and grow into a shout or a scream. Today is yet another story of making ideas happen so let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next: 

 

Three things are left out of the healthcare equation when it comes to cancer treatment: 

• Connecting to nature after unnatural experience of cancer treatment
• Connecting to other people who have experienced the same
• Help people get to know themselves again through meditation and mindfulness practice

 

At True North Treks, they take kids into the outdoors and keep them safe, dry, warm, and well-fed and connect them with others, drop in some mindful training, and not be too support group like. 

 

Here is the poem written by his grandmother shortly after she lost her son.

 

Forest Cathedral

By Delilah Victorson

 

Oh how I love to walk out in the woods

In it's calm and still beauty I have long understood

As I look at the wonders our creator has made

All the hustle and bustle of this world seems to fade

Down in the meadow you hear the call of a lark

While high on the hill some deer feed on bark

There's winter green berries and wild onion shoots

An abundance of flowers and trailing green roots

Now if you go in the forest with the world you're off key

And you're quiet and still and you sit and you see

Here you know of God's love and you know by his grace

Of all worldly issues you're able to face

 

Where to find David:

 

• www.truenorthtreks.org
• Walden Institute