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The Adventurer’s is a support group for patients’
ages 8-12 years of age. This support group incorporates an hour long
meeting for the patients as well as the parents of the patients. At
which a certified child life specialist provides therapeutic
discussion, arts, and games to help facilitate coping, understanding
and friendship within the patient group. The parent group is led by
our social worker and is an open forum for parents to talk about
concerns, fears, and to provide suggestions or knowledge to other
parents.
After the hour of support separated, the patients
and parents meet together to have a provided lunch. This is an
opportunity for parents and patients to talk in a very informal
atmosphere and to continue the support that was implemented during
the first hour of the group. This is also a time for staff to come
in and visit with the families and patients in a casual environment,
which helps to establish rapport with healthcare workers as well as
the psychosocial team.
This support group addresses a wide variety of
issues that pre-adolescents face when dealing with a chronic and
life-threatening illness. This support group has facilitated
many supportive relationships between its members that may have not
formed had it not been for our group. This support group has
improved the social skills of many of our patients and has opened
many opportunities for understanding and friendship. This maybe the
only time that many of the members have a chance to freely discuss
their questions, concerns, and fears openly to those that know first
hand what they are going through.
This program is offered at the
Children's Hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic at
Greenville Hospital Systems.
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