Grief, loss of loved ones, and the recovery process are issues in the forefront of today’s news. These are issues our families face everyday. Each day, 46 children die from cancer across America. In four month’s time, the number of grieving parents equals that of the loss of life in New York. Yet this silent killer remains ever so silent.
The American Cancer Society statistics indicate that between eight and ten thousand children will be diagnosed with cancer in the U. S. each year. The incident rate of childhood cancer has gone up one percent per year for the past 20 years. More than 200 children under the age of 21 will be diagnosed in Arkansas.
When cancer is diagnosed in a family, the average income soon drops by 50 percent and expenses rise by 54 percent. At least 25 percent of kids in Arkansas are in poverty. All families are financially impacted when cancer is diagnosed in their child. But the greatest need is to lift the spirits of the child.
The overall goal of TAB Learning Systems, Inc. is to reduce the stress kids and families feel. This stress starts at the time a child is diagnosed with cancer or when a severe accident or burn injures a child. The approach to reducing this stress is threefold.
http://www.grief-loss.mayursinh.jet9g.com
First, we seek to meet the emotional needs of the afflicted children through friendly visitations at home and in the hospital.
Secondly, we act as a resource to the parent(s). We provide some financial assistance and/or lead the family to organizations that can provide more substantial financial assistance. We provide direction for the parents on how to obtain information about the nature and treatment of their child’s condition. We are also networked with other support groups specializing in their child’s problem.
Third, we train volunteers to help meet the needs of the families we serve.
We offer our love, compassion, encouragement, and understanding through various avenues so that no one has to face the uncertainty of such childhood illnesses or injuries alone. Acknowledging the many needs of individuals and families, we offer our support and services to every family, without regard to economics, race, religion, and choice of physician(s) or health care facilities. Our kids are birth to 20 years of age at time of diagnosis or injury.
Unfortunately, not all children will survive their battle with their illness or injury and there soon is an urgency to meet the needs of grieving parents. TAB Learning Systems, Inc. launched the Healing Hearts project to meet the needs of grieving parents. Healing Hearts is a facilitated support group for bereaved parents designed to recognize and meet the needs of grieving families.
One afternoon Thomas Bowen was at Arkansas Children’s hospital visiting with his daughter, Vicky, who was being treated for cancer. The clouds darkened the sky, the wind started blowing, and the rain was coming down in sheets. The sound of the sirens warned of an approaching tornado. All of the kids with cancer were removed from their rooms to get them away from the glass windows. Up and down the hall were beds with kids of all ages in various stages of treatment for cancer. Thomas’ daughter raised up and asked the teenage girl next to her what her name was. Kara and Vicky were more interested in how each other was handling their treatment than any tornado. It was at this moment that Thomas realized that more kids than just his daughter had cancer. He started asking how other families were coping with the stress. The storm that night introduced him to the storms in the lives of many families facing cancer in their child.
From the day of that storm, Thomas started asking others to help him help these kids and their families. The Christian music artist, Karen Wheaton, helped fill part of his daughter’s dream, and became aware of the battle kids with cancer face. When Kara lost her battle to cancer, Vicky became involved in helping other kids with cancer. And, when Vicky lost her battle to cancer, Thomas promised to keep on helping. But he and his family had to take time out to heal from the loss of a child.
TAB Learning Systems was incorporated 2 years later in July 1999 under IRS Code 501(c)(3) as a not-for-profit public organization to assist in meeting the current and future needs of children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses and injuries and their families.
Starting with Pope, Johnson, Yell, and the surrounding counties in Arkansas, TAB Learning Systems, Inc. is building a coalition of volunteers and coordinators to meet the needs of the kids affected by cancer and major illnesses or burns. The foundation plans to continue expanding itis base of volunteers and coordinators throughout the state.
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