Sharing the Weight: Why We Started The Caregivers Honors Foundation

Written by: Crystal Kemp, CHF Board President

This is a childhood photo of me and my sister, Jeannie.

I’ve always loved this picture. It’s a simple moment, me sharing my favorite doll with her, while very clearly not letting go of it. I was the big sister, after all.

Looking at it now, it feels like an early glimpse into something I didn’t yet understand. What it means to care for someone. What it means to stay close, even when you don’t fully know how to help.

Jeannie’s cancer journey began more than 19 years ago, in her early 30s. Since then, there have been many ups and downs. Periods of stability, and moments that turned everything upside down again.

Today, she is facing another recurrence.

Over the past year, she has undergone surgery, months of chemotherapy, and is preparing for more treatment ahead. It is a reality that so many families know too well, the uncertainty, the exhaustion and the quiet resilience it takes to keep going.

But what stands out most to me, after all these years, is not just the medical journey. It’s the people.

The caregivers.

The ones who show up, steady and compassionate, when everything feels uncertain. The nurses, therapists, friends and loved ones who sit with you in the hard moments, who listen, who support and who help carry a weight that no one should have to carry alone.

These are the people who make an impossible season a little more manageable.

In the middle of all of this, last fall, Jeannie came to me with an idea. She wanted to create something that would give patients and families a way to say thank you. A way to recognize the caregivers who made a difference in their journey.

She asked for my help launching a nonprofit.

There wasn’t really a decision to make. I said yes.

That idea has now become The Caregivers Honors Foundation.

Our mission is simple but deeply meaningful: to create a space where gratitude can be expressed and where caregivers can be seen and honored for the role they play in cancer care.

Watching Jeannie walk through this again, while still thinking about how to lift up others, is hard to put into words. It has changed me. It has shaped how I see care, resilience and what truly matters in the hardest moments.

This foundation is more than a nonprofit. It is personal.

If you or someone you love has experienced cancer, we invite you to honor the caregivers who made a difference in your journey.

Because gratitude deserves to be seen.