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Support Groups and Resources
UT Southwestern Medical Center has a caring staff of medical professionals who are committed to enhancing patients’ quality of life, as well as meeting the needs of patients’ families. Our staff can direct them to a variety of informative and enriching support groups and other resources, which can be tailored to meet a specific situation.
At UT Southwestern, excellence in patient care includes pointing the way to resources patients and their families may not be familiar with but which have proved invaluable to others. We trust these services will assist patients on the road to healing and improved health.
The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) staff at Children’s Medical Center Dallas is actively involved in developing and hosting educational and patient advocacy programs. In the School Re-entry Program, for example, a child life specialist or nurse will visit the child’s school to discuss childhood cancer with classmates, helping them better understand the side effects of chemotherapy and other aspects of the illness.
Support Groups
Child Life Programs at the CCBD
Focuses on the emotional and developmental needs of infants, children and adolescents and includes preparing pediatric patients for their treatment procedures and hospitalizations. It also offers a music therapy program, which has proven to reduce fear and anxiety and improve the physical and psychological health of children and their families. The pastoral care program provides caring spiritual and emotional support for patients and their families regardless of religious affiliation.
UT Southwestern’s After the Cancer Experience (ACE) Program
Provides long-term monitoring of children who have been out of therapy for two or more years. The program is tailored to each patient and involves education about specific risk factors and advice for health maintenance and disease prevention. Adult survivors of childhood brain tumors also receive comprehensive evaluation of neuro-cognitive performance and care to sustain their quality of life and maintain health.
Resources
The Children’s Translation Services Department
Offers verbal interpretation and written translation to help meet patients’ needs. It also provides health-care literature in Spanish to supplement patient care and parent education in the treatment of childhood cancer.
Web Sites
Association for Research of Childhood Cancer (AROCC)
Founded by parents in 1971, the AROCC’s mission is to raise funds for scientific and clinical research to cure pediatric cancers. Newsletters, special events and ways to contribute are features on this site.
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
More than 150,000 people, including pediatric cancer patients and their parents, families, educators and physicians belong to this group.
Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation
Families of children with brain tumors find support through this organization, whose mission is to raise funds to research and eradicate pediatric brain tumors.
Children's Brain Tumor Foundation
This nonprofit organization was founded in 1988 to provide tools to researchers and care providers of children with brain and spinal cord tumors.
Children's Oncology Group
This Web site joins the Children’s Oncology Group and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation to find ways to cure childhood and adolescent cancers.
Children's Tumor Foundation
Focusing on neurofibromatosis, the Children’s Tumor Foundation provides information for patients and their families and offers ways to contribute to fundraising efforts.
Wipe Out Kids Cancer (WOKC)
Founded more than 25 years ago, this Dallas-based organization holds a variety of major fundraising events each year, including a golf classic and two fun runs. WOKC’s Ambassador Program annually highlights 10 to 15 patients at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, who represent all of the center’s cancer patients through activities and support groups.
