Supporting Families of Children With Cancer Since 2003
Circle of Care provides emotional and financial assistance to children and families, from day of diagnosis through treatment and beyond, with programs and services that meet the unique and challenging needs of pediatric cancer treatment.
Our story began with the words that no parent ever wants to hear: “Your child has cancer.” And anyone who has heard those words will agree…once you’ve heard them, your life is never the same.
We quickly learned the tremendous impact that cancer has on your normal routine. Our sons, Carlos and Dan, were then ages three and ten, and luckily, we found each other in a support group for moms and siblings of children with cancer. We didn’t know what to expect, but we were both seeking comfort, knowledge, and a way to make sense of our new “normal.” We found comfort in each other.
When your child is diagnosed with cancer, everything changes instantaneously. Immediate hospitalization is often required, and it can take you far from home, family, and friends, with no time to pack or plan. Sudden immersion into hospital life with your child is overwhelming as you learn a whole new medical vocabulary while keeping up with blood counts, protocols, scans, impending surgeries, and side effects of treatment.
After all the tears and occasional laughter through the years of treatment, we knew we had to give back and share what we had learned so we could help those just beginning this difficult and often lonely journey. That is where Circle of Care was born.
We started Circle of Care with one mission: to help make the journey a little bit easier for families facing pediatric cancer in Connecticut.
And now, more than 17 years later, with Carlos and Dan living healthy and fulfilling lives as young men, we are proud that Circle of Care continues to stand with children and families during treatment. We have met thousands of families, collaborated with countless nurses and doctors at Connecticut’s best hospitals, worked alongside the most dedicated board of directors, and developed a unique set of programs. All of our programs are designed to give immediate assistance from the day a child is diagnosed, throughout their entire course of treatment.
Until no family has to hear the words, “Your child has cancer,” we will be here for you.
In courage, hope, and tears,
Liz & Dawn
