Seeking individual guidance for your family?
If you are coming to terms with a new diagnosis, processing the reality of childhood cancer treatment, or struggling with the shift back to normal life post-treatment…
We can help.
Or, if you are facing the end-of-life transition of your child, or overcome by the grief of losing your child…
We are here for you.
Our Healing Support Guides help you through the uncertainties and emotions that burden you, your spouse, your medically complex child, and their siblings. Check out their specialities and offerings below.
Apply to our Healing Guidance Program to receive 12 free hours of virtual 1:1 support
Heartbound – Jeni Rhodes
Jeni is a fellow caregiver whose daughter was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2022 and is now 3.5 years post-treatment. She brings both lived experience and professional training as an LCSW to this work.
Jeni offers heart-centered peer support for caregivers whose children have been diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening illness. Walking alongside her child through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship has deeply shaped how she holds space for others. Her sessions are offered with warmth, respect, and the belief that no one should have to carry this alone. Jeni also facilitates the bi-weekly Rett’s Roost Healing and Connection Hour, where caregivers can come as they are to share, learn, and gain wisdom from others walking this path.
Jeni supports caregivers across all stages of the journey, including:
* Early diagnosis- the shock, the sharing, and the gathering of one’s resources
* Active treatment and maintenance– surviving the intensity of appointments and decisions, taking life one moment at a time
* Early post-treatment– holding the mixed emotions of celebrating the end of treatment while realizing the stress does not end when treatment ends.
* Later Post-treatment- navigating scans, school systems, beginning to process, calming a chronically activated nervous system, living with the tension of moving forward with life amidst the ever-present fear of recurrence.
* Long-term survivorship– latent effects, ongoing impacts, holistic healing, identity shifts, meaning-making, post-traumatic growth
Heartbound Healing sessions are not therapy and are not meant to take the place of professional support.
Bittersweet – Beecher Grogan
Bereaved mother to Lucy and End-of Life Doula, Beecher Grogan has supported medically complex children and their families for over 20 years.
Beecher holds space for hope while helping sick children and their families navigate difficult conversations about dying. She compassionately guides the family as they process thoughts and concerns that no child or parent or sibling should ever have to think about. During the end-of-life transition, Beecher works closely with you and your medical care team to support the sick child, their parents/caregivers, siblings, and their loved ones by providing:
* Coaching for difficult conversations
* Legacy work
* Photography sessions
* Spiritual exploration and emotional support
* Art projects
* End-of-Life advocacy
* Vigil sitting
* Grief Counseling for the sick child and their family
* Visits to her farm in southern Maine to visit with therapy animals
* Planning for celebrations of life, ceremonies, funerals, or memorial services
Sacred Oak – Lori Mangano
Lori (Loretta) Mangano is a Holistic Wellness Practitioner, Minister and Hospice Chaplain, and Reiki Master. She was also caretaker for her daughter who faced rhabdomyosarcoma as a young adult.
After years of experience as an Art Therapist and Grief Counselor in oncology and hospice, she founded Sacred Oak Healing Services to assist those on the journey of healing and transformation. Lori is passionate about helping children and adolescents grow into healthy and empowered adults by learning to identify and express difficult emotions and navigate challenging circumstances. She practices the Medicine Wheel Walk of the Lakota tradition on which she bases her work and life, integrating emotion, spirit, mind, and body. Lori works with adults, children, adolescents, families, and schools, offering:
* Creative Expression
* Reiki and Reiki Training
* Journey Process
* Grief Support for Parents and Children
* Sacred Ceremonies and Celebrations of Life
* Enneagram
* Aromatherapy
Virtual Support Groups and Workshops
Through our collaboration with MaxLove Project, we will be cultivating a robust online community of resources and support.
Healing and Connection Hour
Biweekly meetings for parents of patients and survivors with our Healing Support Guide, Jeni Rhodes.
Grief Retreat Cohort Meetings
Pre-retreat and 12-months of post-retreat meetings for our grief retreat cohorts with our Healing Support Guide, Beecher Grogan.
Online Healing & Learning
In addition to our support groups on MaxLove Connect, we also offer several self-paced and live virtual workshops that offer guidance on various integrative healing modalities.
Join the MaxLove Connect platform to be notified of all our online services and offerings.
Rett’s Roost is a light of hope to families of childhood cancer. We felt so alone & on a different world after our son Mason died. To know there are others who are experiencing life’s worst loss & that we can come together in peace to honor our children living and deceased, is a gift we will never forget.”
– Beverly Wilson, bereaved mom, June 2019 Open to Healing Retreat
