Kahron Palet is a member of the 2016 Peru Odyssey Tribe and an ambassador with the selection and fundraising teams. After a life changing diagnosis of DeNovo Metastatic Breast Cancer, Kahron combined her years of management, organizational and fundraising experience into a focused mission as a breast cancer advocate, mentor and counselor for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Recovery, various medical organizations and A Fresh Chapter.  Her goal is to help others live their best life, even with a cancer diagnosis. 

Dreams deferred

Kahron Palet’s “fresh chapter” began before she left for the Peru Odyssey. For years, she and her husband, David, shared a dream of living in a quiet place on a lake. In 2013, a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis shattered that dream. David thought they should stay in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, where Kahron would have access to better health care. The decision made her feel depressed, because she thought her dream died.

After her diagnosis, Kahron lost the ability to work. “My self-esteem was tied to my career success,” she said. “My whole identity was tied to what I did. I didn’t know what I was going to do.” She volunteered to support newly diagnosed patients. “I wanted to make it not so scary.” After meeting A Fresh Chapter founder, Terri Wingham, at a conference in Philadelphia, Kahron thought about another dream of hers that had been put on hold—travelling to Peru.

Kahron applied for the Peru Odyssey and was accepted. She launched her fundraising campaign, shared the pre-trip Discover series readings with David and talked to Terri about her future. When Kahron spoke of her dream home and all the risks involved, Terri encouraged her. “When things are going to get difficult, it’s not going to matter where you are. It matters who you are,” Terri said.

Making big decisions

David interviewed for a new job and landed it. They sold their house and had three days to find their dream home. Kahron, about to leave for Peru, learned that her disease was progressing. “I was terrified about my progression. I was in a lot of pain.”

She worried she wouldn’t do her share in Peru. “It was amazing, the ease at which everyone helped me.” At Machu Picchu, a participant bought her a cane. “She just knew I needed it. It was cool to have that support. It was like that during the whole trip.” Kahron appreciated how accepting the tribe was of her limitations. She said it wasn’t necessary for them to share the same challenges, because they listened. “The quality of people that were there was incredible.”

 Finding her niche

Kahron climbed the steps of Machu Picchu with another Stage 4 participant, an experience she described as powerful and amazing. It was also emotional, because she wanted to go there for so long. Kahron and David loved hiking, and she wished they could be there together. Making it to the top was a huge accomplishment but not the biggest part of the trip. The most rewarding part of Peru, for Kahron, was volunteering. Kahron and her team worked at Los Martincitos, a senior center on the outskirts of Lima. There, people lived on about $1.40 a week. The volunteers made home visits and assisted with meals and Spanish lessons, since many only spoke Quetua.

Because Kahron struggled with the more physical tasks, she looked for other ways to help. She knew there was a craft room at Los Martincitos, where seniors made goods to be sold in the gift shop. She asked the director if she could help sell bracelets. With her background in marketing and retail management, Kahron helped boost demand and sales, to the center’s delight. “If you put good out in the world, it’s going to come back to you. If you help people, they can pay it forward. It’s critical to help people be happier.”

Home sweet home

When Kahron returned from Peru, she settled into her new home, which is in a national forest. She has one neighbor, and the closest town, Grand Rapids, is 30 minutes away. She now wakes up to loons calling, can look out her window to see deer and finds joy in watching the sunset. “It’s a very serene, peaceful place.” She and David wished they had made this move 10 years earlier.

“It’s been amazing, and [Terri] helped me get there. That’s why I want to continue helping A Fresh Chapter.” Kahron volunteers as fundraising ambassador, empowering participants with raising money for Odyssey programs. Her own fundraising for Peru went exceptionally well. “It was the thing that terrified me the most. It’s great to help people realize their dream,” she said. “It’s really important for people to go after their dream, if they’re sick or not. If they see it, it can happen.”