Saturday, October 24, 2009 Cypress Valley Preserve - Liberty Hill, Texas
supporting Wonders & Worries - helping children cope when a parent has a chronic or life-threatening illness.
About Wonders & Worries
In Central Texas this year, more than 1300 parents of young children will be diagnosed with cancer. Their children will watch their mommy lose her hair, will wonder why their daddy is too tired to play, and their most common worries will be “Can I catch cancer?” “What will happen to me?” and “What did I do to cause this?”
Wonders & Worries is proud to offer the only program in the nation that provides professional, free support in an individual as well as group setting to these children.W&W services are always free of charge and are available in English and Spanish. Currently more than 2400 people in over 500 families are served by Wonders & Worries.
For years, the affects of a parent’s serious illness on children was ignored by healthcare professionals. Recently, research has revealed some startling facts.
A child’s stress and anxiety is actually higher prior to a parent’s death than following a death.
A study of adults, who as children had a parent diagnosed with cancer, indicated that 17% had lingering symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, with the instance most likely in girls.
Many children of cancer patients experience symptoms of post traumatic stress syndrome in the first year of the illness, with an additional group experiencing increased PTS symptoms as time passes.
What we do:
Our therapeutic programs help families affected by a parent’s serious illness by:
Giving an age-appropriate understanding of the illness, its treatments and side effects
Facilitating expressions of feelings related to the changes in the family
Identifying individual coping skills to help ease feelings of sadness, anger, and fear
Who We Help:
“When you shoot today, please remember that you’re shooting for something that has meant the world to my family. Wonders & Worries has turned our lives around, and we’ll always be grateful for their help.”
When Julie Dees told her family’s story at the 2008 Beretta USA No Worries Classic, there was hardly a dry eye in the room.Diagnosed with three incurable illnesses and a benign tumor on her pituitary gland, Julie and her husband Brian turned to W&W in 2006 to help their sons Parker, now 11, and Hudson, now 9, cope with the changes taking place within their family.
So did Michelle and Brad Bynum after Michelle’s breast cancer came roaring back in 2008 when their son Reid was just three years old.The Bynums created a volunteer group “Michelle’s Angels” to support the organizations that have helped their family through their journey with cancer. Michelle’s Angels participated in the first Beretta No Worries Classic last year, and are shooting again this year.Brad also shared their story at last year’s event – and his words and Michelle’s presence were inspirational.
This year, Michelle and Julie are both serving on the planning committee for the Classic. They believe that W&W services are so important that they are working hard to ensure the event is a success, even while undergoing treatment, battling fatigue, and trying to concentrate on getting stronger, getting better.
"As parents, we felt helpless when we received news of my cancer's return. Concerns of how we explained things to Reid and his emotional/mental well being trumped the focus on my treatment and fight back to health,” says Michelle. “W&W has been there in our rawest of moments as a partner in parenting and a source of strength and reflection for Reid. Their presence has allowed me to mentally and physically battle cancer more effectively. “
Julie, who is also the daughter of Classic Co-Chair John Avery, recently won a KVUE “5 Who Care” award for her efforts on behalf of W&W. “In the three years we have been with W&W, they have helped the boys learn and adjust to each new illness or treatment.There is not a day that goes by where we don’t use something we learn from Wonders &Worries,” says Julie.
Julie’s family has been active in fundraising in the Austin area, especially Williamson County, for generations.Almost one-third of the families served by W&W live in Williamson County.“For many of them, traveling to one of our W&W offices in Austin is a hardship – and the distance can prevent their children from receiving services through support groups,” says Julie. “We hope that the Classic can help us build awareness of the need to expand W&W services in that area.”
“As a family living in Georgetown, our only challenge in working with W&W has been the long drive to their office in downtown Austin,” says Michelle.“My treatment schedule, coupled with the debilitating side effects, render the 3 hour round trip difficult at best. Frequently, Brad takes time off of work to ensure these critical appointments are made."
All of the money raised through the Classic will help W&W help families like the Dees and Bynums. Currently, more than 2,400 people in 500 families receive support from W&W. The goal for this year is $100,000, which will provide support for more than 100 families.
“The families served by W&W have the peace of mind that someone is looking out for their children and making sure they are emotional healthy while their parents fight for their lives.Without W&W, that peace is hard to find,” says Julie.
