Rolling Ridge Retreat Center – North Andover, MA
Join us this summer to connect and heal with other families that have a child recovering from cancer.
We understand that when a child is diagnosed with cancer, the burden befalls the entire family. Parents, siblings, pets, and loved ones experience a great deal of stress, sadness, and pain. The seemingly endless treatments, surgeries and scans can leave the patient and family feeling anxious, vulnerable, even defeated. But we also know that the fight against cancer can also be an empowering one, especially for survivors.
At Rett’s Roost, we hope to create a joyful, fearless, empathetic space for families to relax, renew, and lament after months or years in a hospital environment. We focus on mindful, positive living through healthy bodies, minds, and spirits. Our hope is to offer families facing the post-treatment world, ways to ease their anxieties for the future, reintegrate back into their pre-cancer lives, and find moments of joy and gratitude in their daily lives.
Eight families will be invited to join this retreat. Each family will have their own bedroom and bathroom at Rolling Ridge. Rolling Ridge staff will be providing delicious, healthy meals. We will have full days of optional activities to connect with others and to heal within, such as art, music, yoga, games, and nature hunts.
Does my family qualify? For this retreat, we accept families that have a child who has been through cancer treatment and currently is NED (no evidence of disease) or has stable tumors. We do not have medical staff onsite for children requiring frequent interventions. However, there is an emergency room within 10 minutes and Boston Children’s Hospital is under an hour away. You must live within the 6 New England states or NY or NJ to apply. We give out small travel stipends to those coming from over 1-hour away. Our retreats are best suited for children between the ages of 4-15, however, we do welcome families with older and younger children.
COVID-19: Currently we are requiring parents to be vaccinated for COVID (at least 2 shots).
Download our 2022 COVID Retreat Protocol (2023 version coming soon)
Check out these pictures from last years’ retreats at Rolling Ridge: 2021 Photos, 2022 Photos
Get in touch for more details or sign up to volunteer for this retreat!