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We would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our supporters and sponsors. Your kindness and generosity is overwhelming. We could not provide the programs and essential support for our families without you.
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| Patient and Family Support |
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The following programs are provided in order to ensure that the child and their family are able to adapt to the diagnosis, prepare for and cope for the demands of treatment, and minimize family disruption and related stress throughout their journey.
Kids With Cancer Society House
The Kids With Cancer Society is proud to announce the official opening of the Kids With Cancer Society House. Located at 11135 – 84 Ave the house is just steps away from medical facilities that dominate the lives of children with cancer and their families. The Kids With Cancer Society House offers a home-like environment for families to relax in, connect with other families, and access support programs. The House also serves as the administrative offices for the Kids With Cancer Society.
Newly diagnosed visitation program
Offered to each family at the time of their child's diagnosis, specially trained parents who have lived through the trauma of childhood cancer are available to visit with the newly diagnosed family during the initial stages of hospitalization and provide a support bag. The bag contains practical and useful items that will assist the family in the days that lie ahead. The visitation generally takes place within the first few weeks of diagnosis.
Camp Beat It
Held each September long weekend at Camp He Ho Ha, this four day weekend provides a dorm-style camping experience for families who are at various stages of the disease and survivorship. Activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, mini golf, climbing wall, family dances, ropes course, and hay rides provide families with an opportunity to reach out to others and promote interaction and acceptance. At the end of the weekend many of the families leave the camp with a sense that they do not have to be alone in the fight against childhood cancer. It also provides newly diagnosed families with a feeling of hope as they see children who have survived the disease.
Event tickets
We continue to be grateful to the community who generously provide a wide variety of event tickets for our families to enjoy. Throughout the year families have attended, sporting events, concerts and theatre performances, to name a few. Tickets are offered to our families via email. If you are not on our email list and would like to be please send your details to us.
Family Christmas Party
Family members enjoy an afternoon of rides at West Edmonton Mall Galaxyland followed by a light lunch, entertainment and visit from the Edmonton Eskimos and Santa in the Fantasyland Hotel Ballroom. Attended by over 550 people, this is one our most popular activities and provides an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and gain support from one another.
Family Education
At diagnosis parents are provided with materials that focus on their child's specific disease. These materials which are highly regarded internationally, are written in a way that all parents can understand.
Long Distance Calling Cards
Long distance calling cards are available at diagnosis to families residing in rural areas or local families whose close relatives live outside of Edmonton. At this time families need to be provided with the opportunity to reach out to those who are closest to them for support.
Parents Only Activities
This parents only event provides an opportunity to connect one on one with other parents in a fun, safe and relaxed atmosphere. Parents need to reach out to others to share their feelings and fears yet can be reluctant to raise certain issues in front of their children. This venue encourages dialogue about issues that are sensitive yet highly supportive.
Psychosocial Support
Assisting families through diagnosis, treatment, and follow up by providing resources, advocacy and linking families with community agencies in order to enhance their physical and emotional well being. This program provides a lifeline for families ~ many families indicate that if it were not for this support their experience would have been impossible to deal with.
Weekly Inpatient Support
Parent volunteers are available each Tuesday and Thursday evening in the hospital inpatient playroom to distribute pizza to all families on the unit. Families have the option of taking the pizza and returning to their rooms or to visit in the playroom with other families. If the family wishes, the parent volunteer is available to answer questions and provide informal support. This is a valuable opportunity for families to take a short break and meet with others in similar situations. Special thanks to the Shariff family, Boston Pizza South Common, and Boston Pizza Millwoods for their weekly support of this important program.
Newsletter/Annual Report
The semi-annual newsletter is the most practical method to meet short term and basic information needs of our families. It is the most effective and primary communication method we have to stay in touch with our membership throughout the year and advise them of upcoming events and important information. The annual report is a new initiative. In the future, an e-newsletter will be available.
Sibling Support
All children and families feel the impact when cancer touches their lives. Siblings are often referred to as the forgotten children during diagnosis and subsequent treatment ~ their needs are often overlooked. Workshops, offered monthly, focus on helping siblings cope with the changes brought about by their brother or sisters illness. Facilitated by the childlife specialist, each session includes group and individual activities that will help explore what it is like to have a sibling with cancer.
Weekly Coffee Support
Connecting with the children and families at the hospital on weekly basis provides the opportunity to create awareness to our families of the services of the Kids With Cancer Society.
Distance Learning Treatment Program
The Kids with Cancer Society has awarded a grant for the development and testing of a web based psychosocial treatment program for patients and their families. This exciting initiative will examine the effectiveness of an alternate model of providing support. Six modules will be produced to address issues such as coping with pain and medical procedures, transitioning back to your community and parenting through cancer related changes etc. We are very pleased to support this important project and believe that the results will have a very positive impact of children and families in rural areas.
Emergency Medical Support
Where no other support is available, funding is provided to improve the quality of life, or enhance medical care for children with cancer who may be on or off active cancer treatment and/or on palliative care.
Resource Library
Located in the Kids With Cancer Society House, the library provides families with access to credible information on all aspects of childhood cancer, including diagnosis, treatment, family issues, and survivorship.
Back to "Support" |
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Fundraising
