Uniting Volunteers and Cancer Thrivers: Elissa Kalver’s Journey to Founding We Got This Org.

Advertise Purple went pink for breast cancer awareness month this October. This past week, we had the honor of welcoming Elissa Kalver, the founder of WeGotThis.org and survivor of metastatic breast cancer to share her experience and mission with us. Elissa has managed to turn her story into one of growth and strength and is empowering other survivors to do the same and keep living their lives to the fullest.

When Kalver was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, her story could have quickly taken a turn for the worse. But Elissa’s perseverance never let up – she exemplifies peace in the face of struggle, charity in the face of scarcity, life in the face of death. Instead of referring to people with cancer as survivors, Elissa considers herself a cancer thriver and we can’t help but agree seeing her absolute passion for life inspire great efforts amidst challenges to help others facing similar hardships. 

After her diagnosis, Kalver recalled receiving an overwhelming wave of people sharing their condolences and asking what they could do to help. But in the moment, she didn’t have the bandwidth or energy to field so many inquiries about how she was doing and what she needed. That’s when Elissa came up with the idea for We Got This, the first registry for those with cancer and anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. After two very successful rounds of funding, We Got This launched as has been helping people receive the support from caring individuals around the world.

The “cancer experience” is never the exact same journey for two individuals. People need different things they need to get through chemo, or to help support their family in their absence, and it’s hard to figure out what to offer or what to ask when you want to help. We Got This allows cancer thrivers and their families to make lists of what would genuinely help their journey so you can fulfill their needs instead of taking the one size fits all approach and sending flowers and get well cards that are well intentioned but don’t improve the experience at all. Kalver’s efforts to create a platform where people could be vulnerable about their needs and receive support from volunteers around the world was truly inspirational to us all.

Not only is Elissa running a nonprofit since her cancer journey began but she’s also running for a cause. We Got This is putting together a team for the LA Marathon to raise awareness and show the strength these cancer thrivers have. They are also hosting a 5k the day before the Los Angeles Marathon which still has spots available. For more information or to join the We Got This team email [email protected]. Thank you to Elissa for sharing your story and your experience with us. We are in awe of the work you’ve done and the life you live.