SuperSibs! Welcome Letter
Dear Friends of SuperSibs!
Welcome to our website - and to learning more about our important national nonprofit organization! Based on research, as well as input and encouragement from parents, siblings and professionals in the oncology world, SuperSibs! was created in October 2002. All agreed that there was a desperate need for services to support and honor the brothers and sisters of children diagnosed with cancer. Since then, thousands and thousands of children and teens have been supported by our program!
We are pleased to provide our mailed comfort and care services to siblings who live in the U.S. and Canada. These services are completely free of charge to sibs of children with cancer between the ages of 4-18, and are intended to bring moments of delight and support to these "shadow survivors".
Of course, our website is available to support siblings and families around the world as well. Our education and outreach materials are provided to medical, education and psychosocial professionals directly in the U.S. and Canada, and also to others worldwide, via the internet, so each can support siblings on-site.
As the mother of a pediatric cancer survivor, I know firsthand how overwhelming the fight against cancer can be. While our family struggled to help our ill child survive, despite our best efforts we watched helplessly while our other son felt insignificant, afraid and ignored. It is tremendously draining to attend to all the needs of the child with cancer, understand all the medical information and make decisions on treatment, let alone find the energy necessary to be fully present with the other children as well. SuperSibs! was created for just this reason -- to honor, support and recognize these special children - the brothers and sisters who wonder in the background, "What about me?"
SuperSibs! services are designed to "meet these kids where they are." In other words, we don't require siblings to attend meetings or visit specific locations. Rather, children and teens participating in SuperSibs! will periodically receive support tools in the mail, as well as tokens of recognition to validate their important role in fighting pediatric cancer.
Also, special areas on our website have been designed to be helpful for each visitor – most especially, for siblings in The Sib Spot. Check out what we’ve created for siblings of different ages and situations... and visit regularly, we these elements will be updated monthly! We hope you’ll pass along links to our other website segments in For You, so that parents, grandparents, friends, community members, teachers and professionals can help siblings feel comforted and supported… now and long into the future.
In the world of pediatric cancer, other organizations help the ill child, find a cure, grant wishes, and even care for the caregivers. SuperSibs! completes this total family care model, by ensuring that siblings of children with cancer are honored, supported and recognized… so they may face the future with strength, courage and hope.
Feel free to contact me or any of our caring SuperSibs! team for more information – or to make a referral, make a donation to ensure our ongoing positive impact, or to volunteer your invaluable services. We are so grateful for your support and look forward to hearing from you!
Wishing you hope, strength, happiness and peace,
Melanie Goldish
Founder and Executive Director