The Acorn Project supports families living with cancer in Hawke’s Bay
If you’re a parent or caregiver of a young person and living with cancer in your immediate family - whether you or your child or dependent are the patient - we can help.
Living with cancer affects adults and children in different ways. We recognise this and offer tailored support to help bring families together.
We know that supporting parents and caregivers not only benefits them, but also the young people in their care.
We offer you:
A community: Our parent group meets once a term in our relaxed shared space to drink coffee, eat cake and chat about whatever they need to. You can connect with other parents and caregivers on similar journeys, drawing strength from common experiences and sharing helpful insights.
Specialist advice: We facilitate workshops and bring in guest speakers to talk on a range of topics to help you support your child or dependent and also look after yourself. Workshops cover topics such as self-care, managing anxiety in young people, navigating trauma and understanding counselling. We also teach relaxation and breathing techniques, recognising the role they play in reducing stress.
One-on-one support: Living with cancer and being a parent or caregiver presents many challenges. It can be very difficult to know when to share news of a cancer diagnosis and how best to say it, or what to say to a young person living with cancer.
We are here to help you navigate through your family’s cancer experience, sharing our knowledge and expertise to support you through each step and helping you strengthen your bond with your child or children.
End-of-life support: Should you or your child move from treatment to palliative or end-of-life care, we can support you through this time.
We can assist with difficult conversations about dying and funerals and help you create lasting memories for your family to cherish, including planning for milestones parents may not see and creating treasured keepsakes.
We work with other agencies to ensure young people and their families feel empowered, respected and valued.
This is a special time for friends and family to treasure. We can help support you to make choices and plans for the future - however that may look – that feel right for you and your family.
If you have lost your partner to cancer: We host a meet-up once a term for those who have lost their partner to cancer. Bereaved parents can share their experiences and find comfort and reassurance connecting with peers who really get what they’re going through.
Cancer is heavy. We can’t change the diagnosis but we can change the support you receive.
212 Queen Street East
Hastings 4122 Hawke's Bay