The Sibling Support Specialists at Friends of Karen have the good fortune to work with some pretty incredible children and teens. They share their stories, feelings and humor with us so...
“Alden and I have a close relationship because I have babysat him since he was born, and he is my first grandchild. In September of 2019, we found out that Alden had Adrenal Cancer. With that news...
Jackie is a bilingual (English and Spanish) social worker. Friends of Karen has two Spanish-speaking social workers and one Spanish-speaking case manager to serve the 29% of our families that...
“For 10 years, pediatric cancer tried to take over our lives but we fought it every step of the way up to the very end. Despite the excruciatingly bad times, Bruce and I had a wonderful life...
Aryan (13 years old) and Ethan (9 years old) are typical brothers. Sometimes they play fight, sometimes they argue, but most of the time, they love and care for each other, and they enjoy doing...
Friends of Karen believes that families can maintain a sense of balance and stability even in the midst of the crisis of caring for a child with a life-threatening illness. This belief fuels our...
Alexa, 11 years old, is the sister of Pedro, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2015 at age five and relapsed in 2019. Alexa was the donor for Pedro’s bone marrow transplant. A Friends of...
Anastasia was 20 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery and numerous rounds of chemotherapy before she was considered cancer free and has had a very busy life since. Friends...
“This time has been one of the hardest things I’ve been through mentally and physically in my life. This experience has caused so much heartache and pain. Our world got turned upside down in a...
Lie down and get cozy and comfortable. Stretch out your arms and legs. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Close your eyes and gently place your hand on your belly. Notice your breathing. Is it fast...
Snuggle up and get cozy and comfortable. Stretch out your arms and legs. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Close your eyes and breathe in like you are smelling a beautiful bouquet of flowers and out...
Find a comfortable seat or lie down. Let your shoulders relax. Notice if your hands are in fists or toes curled- allow them to uncurl. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Stretch your arms and legs....