SuperSibs is a program with Alex’s Lemonade Stand that provides sibling support for brothers or sisters of kids with cancer. We specifically signed up for the Grief and Loss mailings after my son, Cayden, had already passed away. I found this and when I was looking online for help for my other children. So far, we have received positive notes, a magnet frame we can use on our fridge, a craft item and a really cool one where each boy had a book to fill out addressing their feelings as well as slime/putty. I am not aware of any other programs that send out items for sibling support after a loss. Cayden’s Care Packages is the only other one I know of that send items to siblings of kids with cancer.

These packages come out about every two months (3 months for grief mailings). I called about our packages because it took about 4-6 months for us to get our first one. We hadn’t gotten fully in the system. It was really easy to get someone on the phone and she reached out to whomever was needed and got us a package sent out. We are really appreciative of the care they show by thinking of our boys! I don’t know if they realize how special and unique this program is, but I do and it makes me happy too. A really cool part for the boys is just receiving a piece of mail with their name on it and getting to open it up. They look through everything with a smile.

Our family enjoys this program and yours might too! I would definitely recommend signing up or signing a friend up for this program. It lasts for two years!

Photo by cottonbro studio

Amazingly, there is an organization that provides shoes for teens who need encouragement. Chase the Victory is a non-profit organization created by a family out of love for their son Chase who started giving shoes to others while he fought cancer. Tragically, he is no longer with us so his family continues his legacy of delivering stylish sneakers and encouragement to others.

I’m talking name brand! My son loved his new pair of shoes. It really warmed my heart as well for him to receive this gift of love straight from Chase’s vision and heart, continued by his family. It was really inspiring as well to pass on the love as much as we can. It’s really hard to capture in words how meaningful this was to our family.

Chase the Victory is based in Georgia and they have done personal deliveries. I am not sure how far they deliver but it is worth finding out. They do even more than this for families that have lost a child but I will share more about that in another blog. A great organization to support for all of the support it gives others!

It’s hard not knowing how to help or explain things to children. One of the first things I asked for were books about childhood cancer to help my kids. I developed “My Coping Skills Coloring Book for Cancer Kids and Families” to share the feelings my family experienced and what we did about to feel better. This coloring book shares how kids may feel during a cancer journey. There are detailed pictures to color. It also shares different ways to cope with negative feelings and encourages creativity. It’s also available for free by clicking the link!

Here are a few other books about childhood cancer we were given from the hospital that help siblings understand more about cancer. They gave us a way to explain to our older boys why their baby brother was in the hospital. I really liked how I Have a Question About Cancer by Arlen Gaines answered questions about the body. It’s so helpful for curious minds because it describes the in and outs of the disease, including what happens to the cells. Hi, My Name is Jack by Christina Beall-Sullivan is a book about how you feel when your brother or sister is going through cancer. It especially takes a look at negative feelings. Jamie’s Journey by Sharon Wonzy is written more like a story, describing the cancer journey. Jamie is the sister of Jordan who has cancer and is sharing her thoughts. At the end, it has room to journal your own thoughts and feelings.

What’s one of your favorite books for childhood cancer? Let me know at lexi@cancerkidsresources.com

A Kid Again is a non-profit that has locations in all fifty states that provide fun, monthly family trips. Any family with a child affected by a life-threatening illness can apply. They are very responsive and excited to help your family make memories on the awesome “adventures”. Kentucky Kingdom, the Colts Fashion Show, and zoo tickets are just some of the family trips they provided Jamacia during her stay at a home away from home in Indianapolis. They have a monthly newsletter to keep you up to date with all the latest available adventures and special events. The staff is super friendly and helpful as well. The only downside is that if you live far away from the adventures, there is no assistance with hotels or transportation…yet! We heard that they are working on making it more accessible for everyone! Really, Jamacia couldn’t say enough about how wonderful they are and they definitely are one of our favorite resources! To find more resources, check out our social media!

inally, a resource that is relatable and interactive for kids to practice coping with childhood cancer! This coloring book was created specifically for children going through cancer treatments and their siblings. When our son went through cancer treatments, we couldn’t find many easily available, interactive resources that helped children deal with cancer. This coloring book gives kids tips on how to cope with negative emotions that often come with chronic sickness and frequent hospital stays. The illustrations were hand drawn by our 14 year old niece who wanted to use her passion of art to help and make a difference.

Cancer kids and siblings can color kids who look like them, whether they have a head full of hair or not. They are invited to write what they can do to feel better when they are sad or angry. This resource has been donated and well received by several hospitals such as John Hopkins and Children’s Hospital of Atlanta and cancer summer camps such as Camp Quality.