Whitney Setterdahl knows what it is like to be in the hospital during the holidays.
Setterdahl is a recent graduate from the University of Illinois and graduated from St. Joseph-Ogden High School in 2015.
The summer before she began college, Setterdahl was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer.
Setterdahl is in remission and has received three negative cancer scans, but she has never forgot what it was like in the hospital as a teenager. So she started Stockings for Strength and has continued the project for four years.
Setterdahl is currently raising money to purchase small gifts and stockings for teens battling cancer at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis
“What is most important to me is that these teens remember the parts of their life that exist beyond their hospital room,” Setterdahl said. “When I was in the hospital, I remember the staff being so incredible, but I also remember feeling like treatment and medical terminology consumed me.”
Setterdahl said she wants to make sure the teenagers feel the spirit of the holiday season and get to experience joy from the things that all teenagers enjoy.
“It’s all about offering them a sense of community,” she said. “Although they may be the only teenager cancer patient in the waiting room at that moment, I don’t want them to feel they are ever alone.”
Setterdahl said Stockings for Strength means so much to her because she understands what the teenagers are feeling. Setterdahl said the waiting rooms are full of toys and games for younger children and the waiting room TVs have soap operas for the adults.
“I felt as if I stuck out like a sore thumb and would love to be anywhere but there,” she said. “It’s sad for me to think that I never would have realized this gap for teenagers existed if it wasn’t for my own experiences. The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes in St. Louis will always hold a special place in my heart, and the staff there has told me that they rarely receive donations fit for teens. So this truly means a lot to them as well and it’s great to feel that impact.”
Whitney’s mother, Nikki, said the project gives her daughter purpose.
“Whit made a choice that having cancer could provide her with something she didn’t have before, and I don’t mean a lifetime of taking medications to replicate thyroid hormones, or tests and scans to maintain her health, but something so much more,” Nikki said. “She has told me that had she not been diagnosed at the point in life that she was, she would not have recognized the need for teens, those patients in between childhood and adult life. She was at a point in her life where the insight she gained first-hand, she was able to use to try and improve for the teens that came after her, and how many times in life are we able to do that?”
Nikki said that during Whitney’s cancer battle, the family followed Whitney’s lead.
“She was all about going into this head-on, addressing every outcome and issue directly and thoroughly while being adamant about moving in to the U of I on time,” Nikki said. “Our family became a closer unit. We told the boys from the beginning there would be no secrets and nothing they didn’t know. This was a family fight.”
Nikki said not only did the family lean on each other during Whitney’s diagnoses and treatment, but also their community. They would come home to find meals on their doorstep and took solace with the company of parents who had been down a similar road.
“I used to hear about families dealing with medical issues with their children and I can remember saying, ‘I don’t know how they do that’ or ‘I am not sure I could do that’ and once Whit was diagnosed I realized no one asks if you can handle it,” she said. “You just have to, in the best way you know how.”
Whitney is officially in remission, but remembers how important it was to find joy and stay positive during her battle.
“I think one of the most motivating factors for me when I was battling cancer was seeing success stories and little miracles every day within Barnes,” she said. “For example, there is a tradition that when a patient is cancer free, they get to ring a loud bell in the waiting room to alert everyone of their success. Seeing other people, young and old, ring the bell day after day was so amazing to me.”
This year, Nikki and Whitney will volunteer at Snowflake Village at the hospital. The volunteers at the village help families purchase and wrap their Christmas gifts so they don’t have to leave the hospital.
All of the shoppable gifts are free to the parents, but they get to preserve the holiday tradition of picking out gifts for their kids.
“If we can do something that can bring any sense of normalcy or relief to families,” Nikki said, “we are thrilled to get to help.”
Nikki said that when a child is sick, it affects the entire family, a fact that was driven home when Whitney was sick and they saw a family in the radiation waiting room trying to care for their young teen who was ill while worrying about getting a younger child to a birthday party.
“That really hit home,” she said. “As parents, we want to make sure everyone gets what they need. Volunteering at this shop helps families make sure the holidays will be bright for all of their children, and that is amazing.”
Nikki and Whitney said there are many ways for people to help. Donation boxes are set up at Island Travel Group in Main Street Station and Mercantile Antiques in downtown St. Joseph. Both women encourage people wanting to donate to purchase items they think are fun, interesting and would be enjoyed by teens.
“I love when people donate themselves as opposed to just donating funds because I feel we always get really creative gifts that I wouldn’t be able to come up with myself,” Whitney said. “I love covering a lot of interests for teens, whether it be arts and crafts, sports, math and puzzles. I love the idea of there being something for everyone.”
There is also a Gofundme set up at https://www.gofundme.com/f/stockings-for-strength-2019.
Whitney now lives in Chicago, but knows she can always count on St. Joseph to support Stockings for Strength.
“It’s for a cause I identified in my experiences and became so passionate about,” she said, “and it’s always fascinating to me to see others buy into the purpose and validate its importance as well.”
Whitney and Nikki will take the stockings to Barnes-Jewish Hospital later this month.
“It’s always one of my favorite days of the year,” she said. “Barnes is always so grateful, and every year I find myself feeling more and more proud on this day of what the community is capable of.”
Whitney said she feels the Christmas season is the perfect time for this project because the spirit of giving is so strong.
“I have always loved giving, whether it be gifts to family and friends or donating to those in need,” Whitney said. “I encourage everyone to lean into the spirit of giving and find a cause you care about and give whatever you have to offer. It’s the most rewarding thing in the world.”
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