Our Programs
We cultivate a community of families that have experienced childhood cancer or child loss by providing hopeful retreats, joyful gatherings, and peer support.
We believe that healing of the deep grief and trauma associated with childhood cancer treatment and child loss takes place through mindful, meaningful experiences; deep, empathetic connections; and holistic, integrated therapies.
What we offer…
Our seminal program was started in 2015 with two Positively Healing Retreats for families of childhood cancer survivors. The next year, we added Open to Healing Retreats for bereaved families to our schedule. Each year the number of retreats we were able to offer grew.
In 2020, the global pandemic changed everything. We pivoted to virtual programs and outdoor gatherings for families that still honored our mission of providing a safe and supportive community to cancer and loss families. With the widespread efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, we were able to safely return to our in-person, overnight retreats again in the fall of 2021. But we decided to keep many of our social gatherings and online support groups.
In 2024, we have four retreats planned, two for families, two Forever Healing retreats for grieving parents. Our program schedule also includes several opportunities for local families to connect at our Community Gatherings, such as the Winter Blues Bereavement Lunch, a Maine Mariners semi-pro hockey game, a Vent Smash and Splatter experience, Mom SUP Yoga, and a Dad-only day to connect and heal.
We are also adding a new service to local families who are told their child’s disease is terminal. Rett’s Roost will be providing end-of-life guidance and support to families. And we will continue to offer our monthly online grief group to parents that lost a young child to disease.
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Protected: Retreats DEV
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Retreats
Our retreats offer a free, intimate, immersive experience to connect families touched by childhood cancer and child loss. At our in-person retreats for both survivor and bereaved families, we offer the opportunity to heal through joyful, mindful experiences, integrated therapies, and peer connections. Our retreats include support for children with cancer and their parents and siblings, as well as bereaved parents and siblings. ‘Positively Healing’ Family Retreats are for families that have a child surviving cancer with no evidence of disease or stable tumors. We do not accept children during the frontline course of treatment as we do not have medical staff onsite.…
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Community Gatherings
We provide a safe, supportive space for emotional healing through peer-to-peer connections and joyful, therapeutic activities. Although the value and quality of our intimate, immersive retreats is significant, a one-time experience for a family simply isn’t enough to heal the trauma they’ve amassed through a child’s cancer treatment and/or death. One goal over the next few years is to create more of a “Continuum of Care” for our local families. We see a greater benefit coming from long-term support and the feeling of being a part of a community that truly understands. In 2023, other than our signature retreats, we…
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Grief & End of Life Support
For families facing the end-of-life of their child or those already grieving, we offer a certified death doula and one-on-one or family grief support. My child is transitioning from roots to wings… Coming to terms with the likelihood that one’s child will not survive their medical diagnosis is one of the most complex and heartbreaking tragedies you will ever experience. To support you through this time we partner with two amazing support specialists with years of experience in end-of-life guidance and grief work. Bittersweet – Beecher Grogan https://www.beechergrogan.com Bereaved mother to Lucy and End-of Life Doula, Beecher Grogan has supported…
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Programs Calendar
The feeling of loneliness when your child is diagnosed with cancer or leaves this world is palpable. Finding friends that understand a little of what you are experiencing as a family can help you get through the hard days. We hope you can join us at one of the following retreats or community gatherings, which are always free for Rett’s Roost families. Join our Community to sign your family up to receive email reminders for these opportunities: Calendar of Programs