The Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer will have two meet ups this summer at playgrounds/splash parks in DC. It will be an opportunity for the adults to talk while the kids have fun on the playground/splash park. Parents with cancer (newly diagnosed, active treatment and NED) are welcome as well as their partners. One will be held on July 8 and the other will be held on August 5th. In the fall, a virtual Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer will start with occasional in-person meet-ups.
The July Playdate will be at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center at 1100 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017. The meeting spot will be under the tree right next to the playground/splash park. We will have a table set up with a Smith Center BSN meet up sign with snacks and sparkling water. Please feel free to bring your own lunch and picnic blanket.
For more information about our Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer beginning in the fall, please read below.
Smith Center’s Healing Circle for Moms with Cancer is being changed to the Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer and will now be hosted in partnership with Brightspot Network, Life with Cancer, Hope Connections, Ourisman Breast Center, Ulman Foundation, and Wellness House of Annapolis. Effective July 1, the Healing Circle for Moms with Cancer will no longer be on the Smith Center calendar. We will have play dates in DC during the summer and kick of the Healing Circle for Parents in September.
What will happen next?
In an effort to expand the Healing Circle to more parents with cancer, Smith Center is partnering with Bright Spot Network and other cancer organizations who can connect parents to this program. By broadening participation to all parents (not just moms) and working with several different national organizations supporting parents facing cancer, you’ll be able to participate in Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer.
What is the Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer?
This ongoing healing circle will focus on the unique needs of parents, with children of any age, who are living with cancer. No matter where you find yourself on your journey you will have a chance to be with others who share in your experience. This shared experience will often lead to profound learning and healing.
Some of our children are bound to need us during this program. Please don’t worry about disruptions to care for your child(ren).
What are Healing Circles?
Healing Circles bring together small numbers of people impacted by a condition or circumstance to share experiences and harvest collective wisdom. Healing Circles is a peer-led process by which people support each other through deep listening and shared learning. When working at its best, this collaborative conversation model leads to authentic and deep connectivity and can create wisdom and healing for participants.