Community and Support
Community & Support
Tabatha met Lindsey, Lily’s mom, after introducing herself in the HopeKids family forum online. After chatting, they discovered that their daughters both were similar in age and both had cancer. Tabatha holds back tears when recalling the moment that Lily and Raven met. Lily’s hair was starting to grow back and Raven had just lost hers. They pointed to each other’s heads and hugged. The girls had an instant bond. Tabatha and Lindsey are convinced that their girls will be friends for life and are so thankful for the sense of community that HopeKids fostered. Through the online family forum and now attending events together, these two moms support each other through this journey with their daughters. Tabatha explains how valuable it is for both of them to have someone who “gets it.”
According to our most recent survey…
Social support is critical to a healthy life, especially when facing a child’s life-threatening illness. In the midst of treatment, it is easy for families to become isolated, overwhelmed, and sometimes disconnected from their main sources of friendship and support. It is essential for families to meet others and broaden their networks with people who “get it”.
HopeKids builds programs with the goal of drawing families together. We provide a unique, supportive and recreational environment for connection, sharing and encouragement. Our events foster lasting friendships and support among people who share similar challenges. Our families report that nothing is more powerful than one sick child meeting another who has recovered from the same condition. No HopeKids family is alone on this difficult journey.
It is well documented that people need community to thrive. The Health Science Journal reports, “Social support is a very important factor in the confrontation of chronic illness. Children who are the recipients of support by parents and peers present considerably more improved capacities to adapt and show fewer behavioral problems compared to children that have only marginal sources of support.”3
3. D. Theofanidis, “Chronic Illness in Childhood: Psychosocial Adaptation and Nursing Support for the Child and Family,” Health Science Journal, Issue 2, April - June 2007, p 6.
