The Giving Tree

 

Kids Konnected

Living and coping with a cancer diagnosis is devastating for everyone. No question. But what happens to a child whose parent is diagnosed? Who can help them understand and deal with the realities of the situation? Eleven-year-old Jon Wagner-Holtz knows the answer. He established Kids Konnected in 1993 after his mother was diagnosed with *** cancer.

Jon had no one to talk to-he didn't know any other kids who were experiencing the exact same thing.

Jon approached the Orange County, California, Race for the Cure, a part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, which granted him $250 to start a brand new phone connection, Jon's own hotline, so he could talk to kids in his community.  The mission of Kids Konnected is to provide friendship, understanding, education and support for kids and teens that have a parent with cancer or have lost a parent to cancer. Jon says, "The success of the program lies in the tears of a child being wiped away by a caring friend, and in the quiet 'Thanks' of a sick parent that can worry less about the emotional stress their illness has on their children."

How does the program work? It starts with the annual Summer Camp program. One hundred kids from all over the U.S. are brought together with one goal in mind: being a kid. That's because when a parent is diagnosed with cancer, a greater burden falls on the kids to do more at home. They quickly lose the innocence of childhood and have to become contributors to their families in ways they never imagined. At camp, kids have the opportunity to be with kids who do understand these changes and have experienced many of the same effects that cancer has had in their life.

Another way the program works is through youth leadership training. An amazing group of kids donates their free time to helping support kids in the U.S. who have a parent with cancer or have lost a parent to cancer. Youth Leaders are trained to become e-mail/phone buddies to kids who don't have support groups in their areas, to co-lead support groups with therapists and to volunteer at social and fundraiser events.

Jon says, "Kids helping kids is what we're all about. Because of our 'Konnection' you don't have to be alone anymore."

Want to help? Go to http://www.kidskonnected.org for more information.

Know someone under the age of 18 who's started their own charity? If so, we want to know!