Tickets $45 in advance or $50 at the door
Feel free to bring a friend and discover how you can help Circle of Care
fulfill it’s mission to support children with cancer.

Purchase tickets for the Parilla safely online here

Wine & Tequila tasting sponsored by
Vintage Fine Wines, Wilton

http://www.townvibe.com/Wilton/March-April-2012/A-Circle-of-Care/

To read Katie’s story click here
 

I remember early last September noticing many of my friends on Facebook changing their profile pictures to commemorate Childhood Cancer Awareness month. At the time I thought it was a nice thought, but didn’t give it much more consideration. Little did I know that within a few short weeks, with little warning, my family was to be thrown into the world of childhood cancer. In early October my then almost 11 year old daughter was diagnosed with a form of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. While this news was devastating at the time, and the past year has not always been easy, I believe that I am a stronger and better person for it. I have learned more about hope, courage, and caring in this year, than in all my 41 previous years.

Today Emma is doing very well, her disease is in remission, and she is scheduled to be through with her chemotherapy treatments at the end of September. This September I will be proudly  honoring Emma and all of the brave children and families who have battled or are currently battling this disease.

Jeannine Fagan

Bethel, CT

” Our son has grown so much through this experience.  He is so responsible and mature, kind and empathetic. This horrible thing has helped to shape him into an amazing person”

“We are closer now and even happier than before this happened. I can’t believe that one myself.”

“One unexpected gift I have received in this ordeal is the realization of the kindness of others. I have been amazed at the concern and compassion complete strangers have shown when they discover what my daughter is going through.”

“How strong my little daughter is… yes, she has a life threatening illness, yes, she has to endure treatments that I would not wish on my worst enemy, but she is so full of life and laughter and enthusiasm that my heart is filled with awe and I am humbled. If she is able to be strong enough to deal with this, so can we.”

“We got through it by praying a lot.  We asked everyone we knew to pray for our daughter.  At first I did a lot of reading, but there came a point where I just put it in God’s hands.  That helped me get through our most difficult moments.”

“Attend a support group if there is one in your area – it was so good to cry and laugh with people who were going through the same thing.”

“Keep a notebook with you at all times and write down questions as they come to you. You may find that a question will pop into your head during the oddest times – and you want to remember what those are.”

“Get good books to read in the hospital – this again is something that someone could do for you. I read a Janet Evonovich series during Luke’s hospital stays and they saved me. I was able to lose myself in something else while Luke was napping or during the night when I couldn’t sleep. I enjoy reading light books that made me laugh, but people should read what they like.”

“Be sure to ask questions.  Do not be afraid to do so.  On one occasion about a year into treatment our daughter was getting fevers and one of the doctors thought it was a fungal infection and the other thought it was due to the medication.  We were really glad that we asked a lot of questions about the causes of fevers and the treatment options before we went on.  Ask a lot of questions and know your options.”

“The first thing I did to try to gain control was to avoid thinking about the long term.  I forced myself to only worry about getting through that day.  At the end of every day when I said good night to my son I was thankful we had the day behind us and I tried to look at surviving that one day as an accomplishment.”

“I did not read about those things that might never happen or things I was not ready to deal with.”

“I got as much information as I could about the protocol, the science and the medications.  To me knowledge is power.”

“Every night after all of the children were in bed I cried with my husband.  Eventually we stopped crying every night and the despair was replaced with hope.”

“It’s a good idea to pack a bag for both you and your child and keep it ready and in the car.  If you have to go to the hospital unexpectedly, the last thing you will want to do will be to pack.”

“Very few, if any, of your family and friends will understand how difficult and long the treatment is.  Some of the people you know will be very supportive but others may just disappear from your life because they do not know how to handle it.  A lot of people thought it was a short course of treatment and we were done.  They had no idea what was really involved.  It is easy to feel angry and hurt by all of the people in your life who don’t understand what you are going through, we all have.  Try not to let it eat away at you.  Try to let it go and focus on those that are supportive and want to help.  Don’t harbor bad feelings, it won’t help you.  We have met some wonderful people and become even closer to our family and friends.  We are cemented to everyone who helped us see this through.”

“At first we tried to figure out the meaning of the fluctuations in our daughter’s counts.  Over time we realized that all of the counts go up and down and that is what is supposed to happen while the child is on chemo.”

“When our daughter’s counts were low and they took her off treatment for the first time we were horrified.  We thought it meant things weren’t going well.  We later learned that all of the kids go off treatment for low counts at times and that just means that the chemo is working.  By taking the kids off chemo when their counts are low they are ensuring that the kids don’t get more chemo than their bodies can handle.”

•”You DO have the strength to get through this! At first it was so overwhelming; I thought I would never be able to handle it all. But day-by-day (some better than others) you find yourself moving through this experience. Be kind to yourself. You are experiencing one of the greatest trials a parent can experience; pamper your body and spirit.”

Villager Staff Writer

WILTON — When Liz Salguero’s son Carlos was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, she didn’t let that shock send her into a shell of depression.

Instead, Salguero used that horrific news to try and make life a little better for anyone else who may have to face pediatric cancer.

“My son Carlos, now 12, is a cancer survivor for nine years, and during his treatment, I had an overwhelming desire to give back,” Salguero said from her home office on Liberty Street. “I decided to create a foundation as a support group for the whole family going through this ordeal.”

Circle of Care was founded from that initial idea, and Salguero, as co-founder and president, said the first aspect of her foundation was as basic as it gets.

“It started with a simple concept — when a child is diagnosed with cancer, they are immediately taken to the hospital,” Salguero said. “In Connecticut, that’s either Yale New Haven or the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. To go from the oncologist’s office to the hospital is a big, traumatic event. I decided to create a bag that included a toothbrush, hand sanitizer, a pen and pencil, a toy for the child, a DVD, a parking voucher — it’s $10 a day to park at these hospitals — and a letter of hope from us saying everything’s going to be OK.”

Salguero met Wiltonian Jeff Snyder when Snyder’s child was going through cancer treatment at the same time as Carlos, and Snyder nominated Salguero for the Hood Milk Simply Smart “Make A Difference, Taste A Difference” program that recognizes local women making a difference in their communities.

From now through July 31, consumers can help Circle of Care by downloading coupons at www.BeSimplySmart.com, and Hood Simply Smart Milk will donate 25 cents — up to $7,500 — to Circle of Care.

“It’s quite an honor,” Salguero said of her all-volunteer foundation. “To be recognized by the ‘Make A Difference, Taste A Difference’ campaign is a tremendous gift, which will allow us to reach even more families across Connecticut affected by pediatric cancer. Every cent that we receive will go towards helping families with the multiple needs they face while caring for a child that is undergoing cancer treatment.”

Thankfully, pediatric cancer is not very common in the state, but Salguero said because of that, sometimes those cases fall through the cracks.

“There are only 150 kids diagnosed each year, so pediatric cancer is rare,” Salguero said. “It’s comforting to know that someone is thinking of them. We’re the biggest financial assistance program for pediatric cancer in the state. Since 2006, we’ve given out $234,859 to 565 families. It’s very gratifying. I only ever did it to make it easier for parents and siblings.”

For more information, visit www.thecircleofcare.org.

Source: The Wilton Villager

For the second consecutive year, Jeffrey School has partnered with Circle of Care to make a difference in the lives of young cancer patients.   Circle of Care is a Connecticut based organization whose mission is to provide immediate and ongoing support to families of children with cancer.  The organization was created by three moms who met while their own children were fighting pediatric cancer.

According to Principal Mona Goodman,  this project is part of Jeffrey’s reading initiative to strengthen students’ reading skills and at the same time fulfill a need in the community.  “It’s really a win-win situation that teaches about reading and giving.”

Principal Goodman praised the project for allowing Jeffrey students the ability to connect with other children in a philanthropic manner.  She felt that because all of the children are so close in age the giving part of the project really hit home for the students.

As a part of the Jeffrey reading initiative, students took part in an author study by reading books  by a specific writer.   Authors included Mercer Mayer, Eve Bunting, and Dr. Suess, Doreen Cronin, and Rosemary Wells.

Students in various grades then joined together forming “families” to create tote bags based on each author to be distributed by Circle of Care to children battling cancer at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Stacey Ritsick’s 2nd grade and Tracey Soboleski’s 4th grade students both focused on author Eve Bunting’s book, “Trouble on the T-Ball Team” and as a family created items for their bag:  baseball themed artwork, word searches and crossword puzzles, “Louisville Slugger” bookmarks, and a cd recording of the book along with a copy of it.

In addition, Jeffrey kindergartners created cover art for each student recorded cd.

Also included in each tote, are a selection of books by each author.  Jeffrey School purchased the books using money earned by students completing chores at home.   Teachers displayed their accomplishments on a “chore bucket” outside each classroom. The project will culminate at an assembly on April 29th where students will present a total of five themed tote bags to Circle of Care representatives.

Tina Garrity of Circle of Care spoke about the importance of taking part in this very special project with Jeffrey School.  “The bags are given to children.  So, it is children giving to children and I just think that is wonderful!   It’s enjoyable for them to hear the voices of their peers reading to them.

As part of their mission, Jeffrey School prides itself in being a caring, respectful community of learners where it is expected that “all students exhibit values that can be demonstrated through social responsibility.”  In fact, at the beginning of each day students are greeted with a morning announcement that promotes positive character building and making wise choices.  It was evident as the children proudly worked together that these daily lessons were truly reflected in their enthusiasm towards the project and their handiwork for Circle of Care.  When asked what she enjoyed most about participating, second grade student Lindsay Riordan said, “Making the baseball player artwork for the bags and making the kids happy who receive them.”

Source: Madison Patch by Elizabeth Friedman-Rubin