Problem

In particular, cancer can take a devastating toll on the lives of children. When a child has a parent or sibling who has succumbed to the disease, cancer’s impact on them can be devastating and take a toll on personal relationships, school performance, and even long-term plans. Usually, children are the only one among their friends who are living with cancer. Their feelings vacillate from isolation, guilt, anger, frustration, fear of abandonment, loneliness and more.

The Gift

Noogieland™, our program and playroom for children provides an important haven for children who have been touched by cancer, including those who have lost a family member to cancer. Within supervised meetings in Noogieland, bereaved children can find refuge and support. Bereaved children benefit from this supportive group environment and interact with other children who are having a similar experience, receive age-appropriate information about cancer and its treatment, and learn to identify and express a range of feelings. Children will return to their day-to-day life with new tactics for coping and new hope for the future. These supervised meetings help to enhance a child’s adjustment to a very difficult life experience: losing a loved one to cancer.