Brief Description:
Every summer, 50 toddlers and pre-kindergarten children with cancer and their families gather at a resort hotel on the beach of Nachsholim, near Haifa, for a fun and relaxing four days of activities.
The Need:
Medical care for cancer patients is both emotionally taxing and financially draining, and can turn a family’s world upside-down. Joyful experiences are essential to keeping up the children’s spirits as they fight this disease, though finding the time and money to have these adventures while still tending to their kids’ conditions is a great challenge to parents.
Both the parents and the children need a safe space to release their emotions and react to the trauma they’ve experienced. Most feel that they’re living a nightmare, and need support from professionals and peers facing similar situations, along with fun activities that allow them to mentally escape their troubles back home.
For many, attending this program is the first time a family can reunite — and simply enjoy time together — after spending long bouts in the hospital for treatments and procedures.
The Program:
Over the course of four days at a beachside resort near Haifa, children with cancer, their siblings, and their parents, can mentally escape the stress of daily hospital visits and treatments, and enjoy time with people facing challenges similar to their own.
The children have a thrilling experience, complete with trips to the zoo, magic shows, picnics, arts and crafts activities, and a fun day at the water park.
The parents, most of whom arrive to the camp visibly exhausted, also receive special attention during the four day retreat. Meeting other parents who are in the same distressing situation is itself a freeing experience, as it may be the first time they’re able to speak freely about their challenges. The parents are invited to participate in constructive discussions that help them confront their hopes and grievances; each evening, they attend lectures, support meetings, and performance and leisure activities as their children are tended to by the camp’s medical staff and counselors.
At the end of these four days, the families are able to depart with renewed energies, along with valuable connections to people who understand the pains and trauma of their situation.
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The cost of sending one child to camp.
As the cost of treatment is an enormous financial burden, this program is entirely free for the children to participate, and is funded by the generosity of people like you. With your help, we can continue to support the heroic parents as they navigate the challenges of having a child with cancer.
