Local youth support group helps children understand cancer

By Eric Crest

Contributing Writer

GREEN BAY – At HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Green Bay, a specialized group of Child Life Specialists and social workers have launched a unique cancer support group.

The program is tailored to help kids, aged 5-12, better understand a loved one’s cancer diagnosis, learn strategies to manage and explore their feelings and build relationships with other kids going through similar experiences.

The first Tuesday of every month, Child Life Specialist Caitlin Kapp welcomes kids to HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital to host the support group.

But the meetings are far from a situation where kids sit around with a group of their peers and chat about their emotions.

These sessions are designed to be fun, kid-friendly and are focused on educating children on what cancer is, how it affects their loved one and how to cope with their feelings.

“We’re here to help them understand what’s going on,” said Kapp. “We know how kids respond to these diagnoses and we create a supportive outlet for them to better cope with the disease and explore how the diagnosis makes them feel.”

Kapp, who works with children every day at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, is used to having conversations about cancer.

In her role and on any given day, she may be asked to meet with a pediatric patient who is hospitalized for cancer or the child of a parent or caregiver who is hospitalized for cancer.

With the knowledge gained during these experiences, Kapp decided it was time to create a support group so more children could connect with their peers and realize they weren’t the only ones experiencing these challenges.

“It became apparent there was a need for kids who had loved ones with cancer,” said Kapp. “We were having a lot of sessions with kids individually and this made us think about what else we could do to best serve and support these kids. Working with so many families going through the same thing, we wanted to connect kids with one another.”

With the American Cancer Society documenting about 37,000 Wisconsinites being diagnosed with cancer in 2022, the group helps fill a void for northeast Wisconsin families.

By introducing kids to activities and games designed to help them comprehend what is happening to their loved one’s body, these children leave with a better understanding of why a loved one may be more tired than usual during chemo treatment, or even why they’re losing their hair.

“A lot of kids, and even adults, can find it challenging to talk about cancer,” said Kapp. “That’s why we are really focusing on appropriate language, phrases and even games; all chosen for specific age groups so they can understand what a cancer diagnosis looks like.”

Helping a child understand a loved one’s cancer diagnosis and how it makes them feel, personally, is a big conversation for little kids.

With the goal of creating a safe space for children to explore their thoughts, feelings and understanding of cancer, Kapp hopes her support group can provide kids the insight and tools needed to navigate a challenging time.

The next Youth Cancer Support Group meeting at HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is coming up Tuesday, Feb. 7.

It is free and open to all children, ages 5-12.

Registration is required and can be completed by visiting https://www.hshs.org/StVincentChildrensHospital/Events/Event-Registration?form=SVCHEvent_YouthCancerSupportGroup&product=857&date=undefined&registrationType=undefined or by calling (920) 433-8641.