Kansas City's Gilda's Club Honors 41 Years of Cancer Hope

When you're diagnosed with cancer, you join a club nobody wants to belong to, but one that changes your life forever.

Gilda's Club Kansas City brought together cancer survivors, families, and supporters Sunday for its 41st annual National Cancer Survivors Day celebration. The free community event in Westport offered healthcare resources, shared stories, and reminded everyone that they're not alone in their fight.

Steve Hentzen knows that feeling well. While battling prostate cancer, he co-founded the Prostate Network to create a space where patients and families could talk openly. "You can't really relate to something unless you've gone through it," Hentzen said. "This is something that everybody who's gone through cancer can come together in one place, and we all get it."

Hentzen has since expanded his mission beyond support groups. He developed an app with cancer support tools and earned recognition from former President Biden. With nearly 6,000 Americans diagnosed with cancer each day, he continues sharing what he learned about fighting the disease with his community.

The event also connected people in unexpected ways. Debby Dyck and Dwayne Robinson met just weeks ago at Gilda's Club's Red Door Cafe and bonded instantly over their shared experiences as both cancer survivors and barbers.

Dyck, a breast cancer survivor, now specializes in styling hair for people affected by cancer, since treatment often changes hair growth and texture. Robinson survived bone marrow cancer and donates his time cutting hair for cancer patients and others who can't afford haircuts.

The Ripple Effect

Their story shows how Gilda's Club transforms tragedy into connection. What starts as a support group becomes a friendship. What begins as personal survival becomes a mission to help others.

Hentzen's app now reaches thousands beyond Kansas City. Dyck and Robinson's barbering skills bring dignity and confidence to people facing one of life's toughest battles. The annual celebration itself reminds survivors that their milestones matter and their community stands with them.

After 41 years, Gilda's Club proves that cancer may be diagnosed individually, but it's fought together.