Brief Description:
The Gam’ani program aims to bring together 9th-12th graders who are struggling with cancer to form a social support group, with the purpose of building their self confidence and instilling hope back into their lives.

The Need:
The Gam’ani program is a support group developed in response to the lack of ongoing support for adolescents with cancer. Teens have to deal with the regular growing pains of adolescence, but also their unique needs and problems resulting from their illness as well.

The Program:
Gam’ani is a special program designed to help 9th-12th graders cope with cancer through all the stages of the disease, and to meet the unique needs they face at each stage.

The program unites youths who are fighting cancer to create a mutual support system. Activities within the framework of this group are intended to:

• Increase the youth’s’ ability to cope with their emotional response to their illness
• Create empowerment processes through various activities
• Provide emotional support from Larger Than Life graduates who have recovered from cancer

Held monthly, meetings address a wide range of topics through a variety of unifying and enjoyable activities. These activities take place around three relevant circles:

• Personal Circle – guidance in dealing with the disease and healing from an emotional and social aspect
• Group Circle – active group building and creating shared memories
• Moral Circle – dealing with matters relating to youths and their unique characteristics

As these teens struggle with the same matters any normal teenager faces, they also have the added obstacle of fighting cancer. In this troubling and confusing period, our teens depend on the friends they’ve formed through the Gamani program to keep their spirits high.

With your help, we can continue to support our brave teens as they navigate the challenges of having cancer in their adolescence.