CLIMB® - Children's Lives Include Moments of Bravery

Often times when someone is told they have cancer, a million questions start running through their mind. And if the newly-diagnosed cancer patient is a parent, one of their biggest concerns is usually how they will tell their children. That's why Hope Cancer Resources offers a Children's Treehouse Foundation 6-week support group twice a year for children ages 6-12 who have a parent or loved one diagnosed with cancer. The group, "CLIMB," stands for "Children's Lives Include Moments of Bravery."

The purpose of CLIMB is to educate children about cancer on an age-appropriate level, debunk myths about cancer, encourage them to express their thoughts and feelings about cancer, and to normalize those thoughts and feelings.

The most helpful part of the program was letting my children express their feelings to someone other than us.
-Parent whose family participated in CLIMB 

This group is also helpful in that it allows parents to meet together separately so that they may discuss their own concerns ranging from talking to their children about cancer to coping with cancer as a family.

The group was great! We all got to share our experiences with other people who are dealing with the same issues.
-Another parent whose family participated in CLIMB 

Some activities of the previous CLIMB groups included touring the radiation and chemo treatment areas, creating an "anger cube," constructing a "strong box," and making "feeling masks." Each night was focused on a different emotion with a corresponding activity.

One of the families who participated in the Spring 2015 CLIMB program volunteered to be a part of a recent KNWA feature story. Click here to watch the story.

Our next 6-week CLIMB program meets for the first time on Tuesday, September 20 at our office in Springdale. For more information about the group or to RSVP, please contact Kessia Brown, LSW at 479-361-5847. You must RSVP for this group. 

CLIMB is a program of the Children's Treehouse Foundation and is sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma.