The Children’s Cancer Center is an amazing place. As you can guess, they give support to families coping with childhood cancers of one form or another. We were lucky to get involved with a program called the Big Buddy Mentor program and today was the kick off party.
This program is for siblings of cancer patients only, it’s an opportunity to give them some much needed attention and individualized care. The CCC picks second year medical student volunteers to buddy up with siblings for a year, and once a month they get together and go on outings to amusement parks, movies, whatever the kids like to do. This is a fantastic opportunity for the child to have a special friend in a difficult family time, and a chance for these future doctors to learn something about how illnesses have an effect on everyone in the family.
Rachael’s buddy is named Marie, she’s a sweet young lady with a great smile and Rachael just adored her. They played and painted and talked through the whole party. They won tickets to go to the Lowry Park zoo and the CCC covers the cost for them to be able to go on these fun adventures together. Rachael got in the car and when we asked her how she liked Marie she couldn’t stop gushing about the fact that “She only plays with ME! She is only MY friend! She didn’t play with anybody else, only ME!” I know Rachael is aching for some extra love and attention and we maybe can’t always meet that need the way she needs, so now she has an extra special friend who’s only purpose in her life will be to be there for her.
Unfortunately, Nathaniel’s buddy Charlie was sick today and unable to make it. We will have to make a date to meet him because they won tickets to go to Busch Gardens for their first outing! Nathaniel’s so excited because he LOVES roller coasters….hope this Charlie guy does.
It was a fun afternoon for the kids to get to play and meet some new kids and friends and we had the chance to meet new parents and talk with the Children’s Cancer Center workers. They are a fantastic group and I hope to have time in the future to do some volunteer work with them because they do great things in helping others.
With Love
—Anissa
