Brandywine YMCA launches fitness and wellness program helping kids in their battle with cancer

WILMINGTON, Del. - A group of local kids are being brought together at the Brandywine YMCA for a fitness and wellness program to help them in their cancer battle.

"We can just see the cohesion with these kids. They're all from different schools, different neighborhoods in north Wilmington," program director Terri Borkland told FOX 29. 

What they do have in common is cancer. Some kids are either in the heat of their battle or just coming back from a hard fight with it. One of their parents had approached program director Borkland about having a kids version of the LIVESTRONG  program for adult cancer patients and survivors.

It had to be super fun to keep the kids interested and effective enough to motive enough parents to bring kids ages 11-17, twice a week for 12, 90-minute non-stop physical and mental exercise sessions.

"If I'm in gym class at school and I have a hard time doing something, people at school don't get it, but all these people they get it," Kara Kelly explained

Kelly, 16, was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 4 and beat it. 

"It's such a blessing to focus on wellness after so long just focusing on survival," her mom explained.

A name for the program is still undecided. The YMCA looks forward to hopefully a new, larger group in spring. Families don't have to be members of the YMCA to participate in the free program.

The YMCA is looking for donors and sponsors. Donations can be sent to the Brandywine YMCA, c/o the Pediatric Exercise Program: 3 Mt Lebanon Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803.