New Program at UAMS Offers Support to Children of Cancer Patients

By Susan Van Dusen

| LITTLE ROCK — A new group to help children cope with a parent’s cancer diagnosis is set to begin Oct. 2 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

CLIMB, which stands for Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery, will be offered from 5-7 p.m. for six Tuesdays starting Oct. 2 in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. There is no cost to participate, and pre-registration is required. To register, call Carrie Calhoon, LCSW, at 501-603-1612.

Separate groups for children ages 6-12 and their parents meet simultaneously and are led by oncology social workers. Siblings are welcome to attend together.

While the children’s group includes art projects and sharing intended to help process feelings of sadness, anxiety, fear and anger, the adult group focuses on ways to support their child’s ability to cope with their parent’s illness.

CLIMB is a national program sponsored by The Children’s Treehouse Foundation.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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