Families of Children with Cancer
Families of Children With Cancer was founded on the belief that when a child is sick, the entire family is affected. Their support focuses on the individual child along with the family.
Advocacy
Being parents ourselves and knowing what lies ahead for newly diagnosed families, we advocate for the parents by visiting the families while they are in the hospital and offering friendship and help in any way they need.
Emotional Support
Emotions run high with the feeling of being in a whirlwind... never knowing what is about to happen next. New families will look to more “experienced” family for support. Siblings are affected by their sister or brother having cancer. The siblings, often times are the “forgotten” child with all attention being given to the sick child. Emotional support is given to all members of the family for many different reasons. Dads relate to other Dads as well as Moms to Moms, kids to kids. Our social events are a great avenue of support for all.
Emotional Support
No words can express what is felt at the time of a child’s cancer diagnosis. Shock, confusion, anger, worry, tremendous fear, devastation, just barely touches the emotions that are felt. There is nothing as good as to see another parent or another childhood cancer SURVIVOR telling a newly diagnosed family that there is great hope at the end of the journey, as well as a bereaved parent showing another parent that they will be able to “stand” if their child would die. At the onset, the road seems very bleak with many bumps along the way. Any happiness seems remote, never to be experienced again. The HOPE that we can show and bring to these families is tremendous because once there is hope, all other things; emotionally or financially fall into place. As hope becomes real, the family unit becomes stronger and the family will be able to face each day no matter what lies ahead of them.
Education
At the onset of the diagnosis of a child with cancer, it leaves parents devastated and confused and leads them into a brand new unwelcome world of doctors, numerous appointments, hospitalizations, chemotherapy, radiation treatments with many many questions. Families are given educational materials are well as our own experience from when our child was diagnosed
Financial Support
Finances are increased and income is reduced as the parents take days off of work or in some cases, a leave of absence in order to take care of their sick child. The financial stresses at this time are tremendous and often times worrisome. To ease this burden somewhat, the families are given a variety of services which include gift cards for gas, groceries, duffel bag for repeated hospital stays, wigs or Hip hats at the time of hair loss, gas mileage for doctor visits, hospital visits, social events that include a fishing trip, Gamblers game, bowling, day at Tundra Lodge and our main event, The Christmas Party, tuition to various cancer camps, college scholarships, accommodations for out of town treatment centers, memorial gifts for the deceased child, Thanksgiving & Easter gift cards, educational books among many other items.
We receive no federal or state funding and rely solely on donations from private benefactors, corporate sponsors, community organizations, foundations & fundraisers. No salaries are paid and all money directly benefits Northeast Wisconsin & Upper Peninsula families of children with cancer.
