I am a clinical psychologist, specializing in family dynamics.
I talk with many youngsters and their families. I witness the powerful trauma that cancer poses for family members who are living with the disease, whether it be their own diagnosis or that of someone they love.
Children speak the truth.
Susie, a 12-year-old girl, who had been adopted from Tijuana by California parents, lost her father to cancer. She was terribly worried that her mother was now battling cancer. She asked me, “If my mom dies, will I be an orphan again and get sent back to Mexico?”
Johnny, another 12-year-old, told me, “My mom is sick again with cancer for the 3rd time and my dad is drinking like a fish. I am afraid they are both going to die. Help me find a way to make him stop.”
I launched a program to give these children and their families support AND a break, to find ways to have fun and share joy with loved ones, memories that would stay in their hearts forever more. Reaching out to the children and teens opened the opportunity to touch the entire family.
This program is Nancy’s Club.
Our goal is that no child or teen will ever go through cancer alone. We create magical adventures for these kids, their siblings, friends, and loved ones so they get a break from the daunting world of living with cancer.
The Club offers these youngsters a sense of belonging to a community with other youth who share their challenges. They listen generously to one another, offer support, find hope, strength, healing, fascination, empowerment (“WOW! I can DO this!”), friendship, AND they always laugh and have fun.
From one Nancy’s Club member, “I don’t want to go to a shrink and I am not into any support group … not cool. But a fun Club with kids just like me … that is way way cool.”
Most children in Nancy’s Club have leukemia or brain cancer. Pediatric cancer treatments can take over three years, with many hospitalizations and complications.
Sailing became the most wonderful adventure. Through partnerships with local sailors and organizations volunteering countless hours, we introduced many children and their families to the healing power of the sea.
We went to the San Francisco Giants and 49ers games. We went to many live performances in the local theaters. We enjoyed the Exploratorium, the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Children’s Theater, and the opera and ballet. We had picnics on the beach and some kids went kayaking. We visited the Audubon Nature Preserve. We just played AND we laughed.
Nancy’s Club offers these brave children something to look forward to every weekend. They love the fun, the friends, the laughter, and the food.
Why We Do It
Despite remarkable advances in cancer treatment for children, cancer kills more children than any other disease. According to a 2006 report issued by the California Cancer Registry, more than 1,500 children and youth under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer each year in California. Of these, over 1,100 are under the age of 15. An estimated one of every 340 children will develop some form of cancer before he or she is 20 years old.
The American Cancer Society approximates more than 367,000 patients with children under 18 will be diagnosed with invasive cancer each year in the United States.
And, to further the extent of the power of these statistics, The Children’s Treehouse Foundation reports, “One in four parents in America is diagnosed with cancer each year.”
This disease changes the family dynamics, evoking in the children fears, doubts, and questions about their future and that of their parents. The Handbook of Psychology, Oxford University Press, 1989, reported that these youngsters are a “hidden, high-risk group whose problems are minimized by overwhelmed parents and are unknown to the medical staff who seldom see them.”
These young people are oftentimes left out of the family conversation when cancer strikes a family member. Many teens slip into intense loneliness. The difficulty of finding peer support forces many to deal in isolation with issues specific to this age and stage of life: dating, disclosure to a potential employer, having to quit school, feeling lost. They may have emotional difficulties including low self-esteem, poor mental health, eating disorders, depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder. They need our support.
Research from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other pediatric oncology institutions supports a growing body of evidence that children’s adaptive style in the face of life-altering trauma can be advanced by targeted psychological therapeutic care, support groups, family bonding experiences, and new friends through broadened horizons.
This is why we do Nancy’s Club.
How We Do It
Since the initiation of Nancy’s Club, we have …
- Created a community action movement with nearly 5,000 participants
- Elicited the passion of many volunteers … individuals, businesses, healthcare professionals, medical institutions, cancer organizations, all donating their time, services, and venues to support our commitment to children and teens who are living with cancer
- Presented free community forums for parents with experts in the fields of family dynamics and pediatric cancer challenges, giving guidance about talking to their children about their own diagnosis or that of a loved one, the changing role of the siblings, and more. Attendees report that they developed greatly needed support and friendship at these gatherings.
- Offered pro bono counseling for the youngsters living with cancer, their siblings, and parents, either for one family member or, most often, for the entire family
This has only been possible because of the talents and commitments of our hundreds of volunteers and the many generous financial donations from people across the country.
Nancy’s Club can be replicated in every community. I can help.
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