Connecting Families

Candlelighters was started in 1977 from a desire to connect families. Now, 45 years later, that passion is still at the heart of what we do and how we serve.

Our vision for fostering transformational, lifelong relationships begins with supporting the entire family as they face childhood cancer together from diagnosis through treatment and beyond and embracing them into a community that understands what they’re going through.

No matter where you are in your journey, we are here for and with you.

Parent & Caregiver Support Group

Connecting with other parents and caregivers who understand having a child diagnosed with cancer can be incredibly helpful. Join our online support group meetings, facilitated by Dr. Marianne Kabour.

This will be a chance to meet other parents and caregivers so that you can share your thoughts, stories, and concerns related to childhood cancer. If there’s a specific topic you would like to address, please send it to Nicole ahead of time.

Parent & Caregiver Support Group Sign-Up

These online support groups are hosted by Candlelighters, and moderated by Dr. Marianne Kabour. We meet on Zoom the first Wednesday of each month at 6:45 p.m. We will email you the Zoom link in advance.

Parent Mentorship Program

Candlelighters Parent Mentorship Program began with the recognition that there is an unmet need of social-emotional support for parents and caregivers of children facing pediatric cancer throughout Oregon and SW Washington. We heard – and hear – frequently from hospital care teams that parents/caregivers with newly diagnosed children are desperate for connection and ask for help to meet other parents who have experienced a similar diagnosis. But due to privacy regulations (HIPAA) regulations, the hospital care teams are not able to facilitate direct parent-to-parent connection. We began exploring ways to fill this gap in partnership with the hospitals we work with.

The mission of the parent pilot mentorship program is to provide Candlelighters parents with unique understanding, encouragement, and support that only another parent who has walked a similar path can provide.

Mentors are Candlelighters parents who would like to give back by providing peer support to parents of newly diagnosed children. They also meet criteria around the length of time from their own child’s treatment, and are provided  training that we developed with the help of the clinical staff and the psychosocial team at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Randall Children’s Hospital.

Candlelighters Programs staff  matches the mentor with the mentee, and makes the introduction, with scheduled check-ins throughout the mentorship.

We currently have space for more parents who wish to be matched with a mentor. If you have a child in treatment, and are looking for another parent to talk to, please contact Nicole, or fill out the form at the right, and Nicole will follow up with you.

Our long term goal is to provide an expanded, sustainable, referral-based parent peer support program in collaboration with our partner hospitals. We’re also grateful for a grant from the Knight Cancer Institute to fund the program. 

If you have questions about this program, please contact Nicole. For news and press related questions, contact Angela.

Familias Latinas

For Latino families going through a pediatric cancer diagnosis, Candlelighters offers specific support to better serve a range of needs in a culturally appropriate way. Throughout the year, we offer family activities such as bowling, a summer picnic, lunch and loteria, and other family activities as a way for Latino families to meet one another and form strong bonds as they deal with their pediatric cancer journey. 

With this in mind, Candlelighters is working on forging collaborations with Oregon-based nonprofits that work specifically with Latino health such as the Oregon Latino Health Coalition and Familias en Acción. Our goal is to educate our Latino Candlelighters families on the various resources that are available and to continue to strengthen our programming and offerings.

Youth Programs

The Luminaries

The Luminaries is Candlelighters’ youth and young adult program whose focus is on increasing positive social interactions and building leadership skills. The Luminaries’ mission is to provide space for kids and young adults who have experienced cancer and their youth siblings to connect, grow, and support one another through fun social connections, projects and activities.

Watch videos to learn more about the Luminaries. Garrett, one of our leaders shares how joining The Luminaries opened up a new world for him after his diagnosis at 16. Watch Sea’s dance to Warrior a beautiful interpretation of her cancer journey. Check out the full Luminaries playlist on YouTube.

The Luminaries program is open to anyone that has been diagnosed with cancer or their siblings and is aged 13-21. The Luminaries meet monthly online to chat and in person for fun activities. Email Nicole for information on how to join!

Siblings Club

We’re excited to announce a new Candlelighters program: Siblings Club. Siblings Club is designed to provide connection and understanding specifically for siblings of children affected by cancer. We recognize that these children are often on the sidelines during their sibling’s cancer journey, and we believe they deserve dedicated support and attention. Siblings Club will offer them a special space to connect. Our first Siblings Club event is a climbing class at Movement PDX on May 10. 

Fill out the form below to be notified about upcoming Siblings Club events.

Bereavement

We understand that the pain and grief of losing a child are unimaginable. You are not alone.

Candlelighters offers two opportunities during the year for bereaved families to gather for a time of remembrance and to connect with others who are walking a similar path.

Bereaved families are always welcome to attend all Candlelighters family activities. Meeting and getting to know other families experiencing the same kind of grief offers strength and healing through community.

We also help with funeral costs. If you are newly bereaved, please ask your social worker for assistance requesting funds.

For additional information, please email Nicole or give her a call at 503-719-4244. You can also join our private Candlelighters Bereavement Community Group on Facebook.