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From May 30 to June 1, 2025, CancerCare’s 16th Annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp welcomed families who have recently lost a loved one to cancer to Memorytown USA in Mount Pocono, PA. 17 families and 27 children aged 4-15 attended from states including New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Washington.

The families gathered for dinner and activities on Friday evening. Toasting s’mores was popular with the children and teens, while games helped to bring feelings of togetherness and comfort.

Stars represented the theme for this year’s camp. “The symbol of the star symbolizes a reminder that their loved one will always be watching over them, shining brightly in the sky,” said Kathy Nugent, CancerCare’s Senior Director of Regional Programs.

Saturday was marked by a rainy morning. The families stayed dry inside, creating star collages with pictures of their loved ones, as well as words and images that connected to their memories. Doing the activity indoors rather than outdoors brought unexpected positives, as both adults and children were fully engaged in the activity. Kathy shared, “It was special being able to talk to each family and listen to them share memories through pictures and images.”

Adults then came together in support groups facilitated by CancerCare’s oncology social workers while children and teens split into age-specific groups. The younger children were read the book “Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You” by Nancy Tillman, donated by the Light One Little Candle Foundation. They also learned a star-themed dance taught by CancerCare oncology social worker Nikki Molfetas. Teens and tweens gathered to learn how to sing “In the Stars” by Benson Boone, led by Sarah Paul, CancerCare’s Senior Director of Social Work.

Next, the families then had free time to participate in a variety of fun activities – the most popular being horseback riding at Mountain Creek Riding Stable and fishing. In the evening, the families had dinner and gathered for a memorial service, where they honored their loved ones and watched performances by the children and teens.

Sunday morning, the families attended a resilience panel, where parents and their children who have lost a loved one to cancer spoke about their experiences with grief. “This part of the program is very important as parents worry about their children and wonder if they will be okay after experiencing as significant loss,” shared Cecilia Kuepper, CancerCare’s Healing Hearts Program Coordinator. “After hearing the stories from the panelists, the audience leaves with a new sense of hope and resiliency.”

While the adults reconvened in their support groups, the children engaged in activities that helped them express their emotions and continue honoring their loved ones. After an educational discussion on emotions, they were able to release their feelings through a kickboxing exercise. They also decorated pillows with memories of their loved ones.

The weekend ended with a closing ceremony, where each family was gifted a star from the Star Registry representing the memories of their loved ones. They were given charts and directions telling them how to find their loved one’s star in the night sky.

Connection and healing were common themes throughout this year’s camp. “It brings people together in a way that reminds them they don’t have to go through this alone,” said Cecilia. “It gives kids a chance to be kids again, even while they’re grieving, and it gives parents and guardians a space to breathe, connect and heal alongside others who understand.”

“I hope you know that CancerCare has had a monumental impact on our journey,” shared one father who attended camp with his daughter for the second time. “I’m not sure where L and I would be without these two retreats."

Another attendee shared, “It was a really enlightening experience and we definitely took a lot out of it. The staff and volunteers were all so nice and supportive, and the support groups were really helpful for me.”

The families left camp feeling less alone in their experiences with grief and loss. “For many, the idea of healing once felt impossible—but in this space, surrounded by others who truly understand their grief, they found new hope,” said Cecilia. “They laughed, cried, shared stories and found comfort in knowing they weren’t alone.”

The Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp would not be possible without our volunteers, partners and supporters. Special thanks to Eisai, our primary sponsor, as well as our other supporters including the DeAnna Stark Pasciuto Memorial Fund – Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, the Lillian Schenk Foundation and Takeda Oncology. We would like to thank Johnson & Johnson for donating the star banner, family bags and other supplies, the Giving Doll Foundation for donating dolls, the Light One Little Candle Foundation for donating books for the children, Drew Evar for donating star paintings that were raffled off to the families and City of Hope for donating lip balm and other goodies. We would also like to thank Memorytown USA for providing excellent services and meals to our families, staff and volunteers as well as Mountain Creek Riding Stable for hosting horseback riding.

Like all of CancerCare’s services, the Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp is made available to families completely free of charge. Please consider making a contribution to help support families coping with the loss of a loved one. You can also contact Kathy Nugent at 201-301-6809 or knugent@cancercare.org should you wish to make a charitable contribution.