Spreading Hope Beyond Remission: The Luna Peak Foundation By Contributor and Writer Amy Bergant
Spreading Hope Beyond Remission: The Luna Peak Foundation
“Raise your hand if you’ve had cancer”, says Melody Lowe, co-founder of Luna Peak Foundation to a group of students at The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. “Now raise your hand if you know someone who had cancer, a parent, friend, grandparent”. Almost everyone had their hand up. Cancer affects everyone in one way or another, and is why Melody and her niece, Gracelyn Bateman, founded the Luna Peak Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports those affected by cancer and grief. Their focus is on survivor stories and showing those in the cancer and grief communities that they are not alone.
I spoke with Melody at a Cancer Survivors Day event, hosted by Torrance Memorial Medical Center, which treated and supported me through my battle with breast cancer, almost 11 years ago. Her husband, Dr. Thomas Lowe, also happens to be my former oncologist. Curious as to why she and Gracelyn felt the need to create a foundation, she said, “ I am a childhood cancer survivor and I create books that I feel would have helped me and my family when I was diagnosed and felt lost. Gracelyn is a grief survivor who lost her dad suddenly and wanted to hear stories from others on how they got through the darkest days of grief”.
Melody Lowe, left, and her niece, Gracelyn Bateman with their books, Beyond Remission and Beyond Grief.
Both cancer and grief tend to be topics that aren’t discussed openly or faced head-on, so Luna Peak is a way for both to be spoken about openly. Their book, Beyond Remission, allows people to talk about the challenges they face or have faced. By telling survivor stories, it lets others know that they are not alone. They also create photography books, children’s books, and workbooks for young and adult readers to help navigate cancer and/or grief. The books aim to inspire, give hope, and give back to the community. Melody and Gracelyn are passionate about elevating stories and strive to inspire others to embrace life with the same vigor.
It felt natural to have Luna Peak be a part of the Torrance Memorial event, where they spoke to survivors, had those who were in the Beyond Remission book sign their pages, and raffled off door prizes. Said Melody, “We love to celebrate life and National Cancer Survivors Day is a way to celebrate all of those that have had to endure cancer treatment and have now come out as survivors. The book is a celebration that you can hold in your hand. Every day is survivor's day for those of us that have had cancer”. Luna Peak has donated over two thousand books to hospitals, palliative care and hospice centers, retirement facilities, support groups and therapist offices.
Melody Lowe, myself, and Alexa Davis, sign copies of Beyond Remission at a Cancer Survivors Day event, June 4th,hosted by The Hunt Cancer Center at Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
Unfortunately, not all cancer patients can be celebratory, and the grief that comes when a loved one passes weighs heavily on both Melody and Gracelyn. Said Melody, “Cancer has been a part of my life since age 6 and I have seen many family and friends succumb to cancer. This is why we not only focus on the cancer community- we also support the grief community. There is a hole in my heart that grows a bit every time I hear of someone passing from cancer. Our work at Luna Peak Foundation helps me fill that hole with hope for the future. The sadness from losing so many close friends in my childhood drives our work. Cancer and grief are something that brings people together, and it sucks, but we’re all about making the most out of a situation. Melody said that survivor events can only be described as ‘Magic’.
“Turning tragedy into something beautiful is the goal.”
You can learn more about Luna Peak Foundation here:
about Melody and Gracelyn
MELODY LOMBOY-LOWE
Melody was born and raised in Southern California. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age six and has been a cancer warrior ever since. She was given a 50% chance of survival and was treated at City of Hope for three years until age nine. Being a survivor at a time when not many survived set Melody on a course to help newly diagnosed cancer patients.
At a young age she spoke nationally for various cancer charities, helping to raise money for cancer research. Melody has continued her philanthropic endeavors into adulthood and has volunteered as a counselor for camps for children with cancer and continues to raise money for various cancer organizations.
Melody is a graduate of UC Irvine, where she was awarded a scholarship as a collegiate swimmer. She graduated with a double major in Sociology and Art History. Motivated by her cancer experience to live a full life, Melody stays very active in her community as a volunteer for many non-profits, practices yoga, continues to swim and most importantly, focuses on her family.
GRACELYN BATEMAN
Gracelyn is passionate about understanding the life experiences of others. Her role at Luna Peak Company combines her educational background in Sociology with an opportunity to engage with people who have overcome obstacles in their lives. Gracelyn graduated with a B.S. in Sociology from Santa Clara University, and she received a master's degree in Sociology from Columbia University. She spent five years working in digital marketing and media in New York City.
Since returning to Los Angeles, Gracelyn has focused on creating meaningful projects for Luna Peak. After losing her father at age 26, it has been a priority for her to expand research and uplift survivor stories within the grief community to help survivors and create a bigger conversation around how society deals with loss and supporting people through it.
Gracelyn is certified by the David Kessler Grief Educator program. She is also an end of life death doula trained by the Alua Arthur Going with Grace program and a member of the National End of Life Doula Alliance. In her spare time, Gracelyn enjoys photography, hiking, volunteering and playing ukulele with her grandfather.
Amy (Barber) Bergant is a proud Miraleste High School alumna, who grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes.
She attended the University of Southern California, getting her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The Annenberg School for Journalism, where she was also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She currently lives in South Redondo Beach with her husband of almost 25 years, twin 14 year old daughters, and their 2 cats, George and Henry. When not chauffering her kids around, she enjoys hanging out with friends, eating good food, listening to great music, watching ridiculous television shows and going to the beach.
