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Charna’s Kids Club has helped thousands of pediatric patients, their siblings,and their families for over a decade. We could not have done it without you!
Announcement:
We are also celebrating a First Year Anniversary !!! Charna’s Kids Club openedits doors at Cohen Children’s Medical Center at NorthwellHealth on October 9th, 2016.
Everyone loves the program!
Our Award Winning Team 2Community Impact 2
Charna’s Kids Club at Cohen’s 3A Safe Place to Feel 3
Remembering Charna Radbell 4More Reasons to Give 4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Who We Are
• an award-winning child life sibling support program
• a model for other medical institutions across the globe
• a safe, recreational, and therapeutic play space for the well siblings of the inpatient pediatric population within children’s hospitals
WINTER2017-2018
providing sibling support
2017 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of Charna’s Kids Club! We could not be more proud and grateful to all those who have made Charna’s dream possible. Because of your commitment and support, the Charna Radbell Foundation has been able to help thousands of patients and their entire families throughout the world.
Charna’s Kids Club, fully sponsored by the Charna Radbell Foundation, has become an award-winning sibling support program. Our mission is to help the well siblings of pediatric patients. “Charna’s” provides a therapeutic and recreational environment for children who are struggling with the challenges of their sibling’s devastating illness.
In fulfilling this mission, we help these special children to better understand their sur-roundings, express their feelings, meet peers in similar circumstances, and reduce the stress associated with the hospitalization of a sibling. “Charna’s” has become their respite, a place in which they feel safe, valued, and loved.
Since its establishment in 2007, Charna’s Kids Club and its staff have continued to be honored with accolades, and the program has become the gold standard for Child Life sibling support programs. Additionally, the impact of Charna’s Kids Club has con-tinued to grow over the years, immeasurably. In fact, it has become an integral part of the hospitals’ mission of Family Centered Care, acknowledging that when a child is sick the whole family suffers.
Charna Radbell Foundation
Alice Bergmann, LCSW, is our award-winning Program Coordinator at Charna’s Kids Club. Her leadership and expertise have previously been acknowledged by her peers at the MSCH. This year, she is the recipient of the highly acclaimed Social Worker of the Year Award. Once again, we are so very proud of Alice!
As we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary at the MSCH, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Alice. She is ‘the heart’ of the program who
provides outstanding care, services, and leadership to all of “Charna’s Kids,” the pediatric patients and their siblings, and to their entire families. With her enthusiasm and empathetic character it is no wonder that Alice has become a beloved figure for all those who pass through the doors at Charna’s Kids Club.
Rachel Rosenberg is this year’s well-deserved recip-ient of the MSCH’s Volunteer of the Year award! We are so proud of Rachel! This award acknowledges her endless dedication to Charna’s Kids Club. She has served “Charna’s Kids” for the last three and a half years, contributing a great deal to our sibling support program. Rachel’s favorite event at Charna’s Kids Club is Summer Sizzle which she has helped to make an even greater success each year.
A recent graduate from Hunter College with a degree in Psychology, Rachel is current-ly in the accelerated nursing program at New York University. After her graduation in December of 2018, Rachel plans to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in order to continue making a difference in the lives of the people around her.
Summer Sizzle: Still the best show in town! For the ninth consecutive year, Charna’s Kids Club celebrated “Charna’s Kids,” the patients and their siblings as well as their entire families. It was a sizzlin’ day that couldn’t be beat, and we had a total of 300 attendees which breaks our record! Children and family members enjoyed the fabulous music of DJ Mario Robles of APB Entertainment, and MC Meester Mario Calderon kept the energy and dance games going. No one left the floor! Crafts, tattoos, button making, and the family photo center were all back again this year.
We were honored by the unbelievable talent of a few of our very own siblings who have participated in the Garden of Dreams Foundation Talent Show at Radio City Music Hall. Charna’s alumna, Rosi Estevez, sang “Issues” for us at this year’s Summer Sizzle. Even with a busy schedule, participating in Garden Of Dreams events throughout NYC since 2105, she comes back to grace our stage each year. Rosi was our first Charna’s Kids Club member, and she helped to write the goodbye poem that the children say to this day. We are so proud of all her accomplishments, and we celebrate her!
Maya and Rachel Mason performed at Radio City Music Hall in 2016. They brought the house down with their vocal performances then and at this year’s Summer Sizzle. It was such a moving moment when they sang “Rise Up” and “Scars to Your Beautiful.” They even received a standing ovation! These sib-lings have also performed during the half-time show for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and they were featured on NBC’s ‘George to the Rescue’ TV show. What a proud sister act they are!
Kid Glyde and the Dynamic Rockers break dance crew performed for the 8th time at our Summer Sizzle! They brought their dance school students this year, and the Dynamic Kids rocked the house! They taught “Charna’s Kids” some great new moves which they all performed together on stage before the Show Off performance, our Super Sib Finale!
Our Award Winning Team Members
Broadway Inspirational VoicesEach year one of our sibling program alumnae is selected to participate in the Ronald McDonald House’s event, “Broadway Inspirational Voices.” This unique program invites children and their siblings, who have been challenged by a serious illness, to partner with a Broadway composer. Together, they write a song inspired by the children’s story, and then, it is rehearsed and per-formed by Broadway performers at the Ronald McDonald House. It has always been a truly special evening for all of “Charna’s Kids” who have been able to participate. By setting these siblings’ sto-ries to music, we are all inspired to be as strong and as positive as they are!
Make-Believe Performances in the WintergardenActors from “Only Make Believe” facilitat-ed a fun day of creative and interactive theater with our patients and their sib-lings. The children assisted in creating characters and story components with the actors on stage, resulting in a power-ful expression of emotion for the children.
Wild, Wild West DayIn partnership with the Ronald McDonald House and the ‘Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,’ many of “Charna’s Kids” and their families participated in the “Great Days Event” hosted at Krucker’s! Buses transported our families out of the city and away from hospital treatments to Pomona, NY. They even received a police escort into the campground! The county’s first responders greeted them and immediately swore them in as “sher-iffs for the day,“ making them feel so empowered. All of the children enjoyed a variety of activities, including swimming, rides, helicopter demonstrations, and a “Makin’ Slime” station. Everyone left with smiles on their faces and great memo-ries!
Highlights: Our Impact in the Community
Once the siblings are settled, they are invited to complete a “How I Feel” exer-cise. This encourages each child to express what he or she is feeling, and in turn, this allows me to devise specific therapeutic skills and directives accord-ing to their individual needs.
We then transition into an art therapy directive which is related to feelings. “What Lifts Me Up,” for instance, allows the siblings to create symbols and colors which represent their feelings like fear, sadness, confusion, anger, jealousy, and rejection. We then teach the siblings healthy ways to express themselves and to cope with their emotions.
When the siblings complete their artistic creations, they hang them up. This ges-ture demonstrates that every child is an artist which can be very empowering! Then, all together, the siblings choose a group game which has been proven to increase positive mood and decrease sadness. Afterward, the group then enjoys snacks. At Charna’s Kids Club we call this session, ‘Snack Chat.’ By this time, the siblings are usually more comfortable with sharing their feelings as evidenced by seamless conversations.
Before the day ends at Charna’s Kids Club, we have Story Time. One of the siblings’ favorite books is “Inside Out.” It focuses on the importance of sharing ALL of one’s feelings and how it’s okay to show them all.
Goodbye Time is always the hardest. No one wants to leave! We hope each sibling leaves “Charna’s” with something with which they might not have entered, i.e., understanding that it’s okay to talk about their feelings, knowing that they are not alone, having new copings skills, and being assured that Charna’s is a SAFE place for them.
Amanda A. Smith Program Coordinator
Amanda A. Smith, LCAT, ATR-BCProgram Coordinator
A DAY WITH CHARNA’S KIDS
Happy Anniversary, Charna’s Kids Club! On October 9th, 2016, Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York welcomed Charna’s Kids Club to our home.
Charna’s Kids Club has been the per-fect addition to Cohens, providing a safe place for siblings of hospitalized children. Charna’s Kids Club helps these children feel valued and assists them with any coping challenges they may face. As the Program Coordinator and as an Art Therapist, I have wit-nessed the emotional issues with which “Charna’s Kids” struggle. So, we are very pleased that we have been able to offer this excellent sibling support pro-gram, four days a week, to our sibling patient population of 300,000. Thank you, Arlene and Larry Radbell!
Charna’s Kids Club welcomes all our siblings with bright and cheerful col-ors. We have Matisse inspired wallpa-per, colorful chairs, and a mesmerizing fish tank! When the siblings come to “Charna’s,” they always run to the table filled with art supplies. This gives me the opportunity to educate the parents about the program. Then, while the siblings are enjoying their individual and group therapeutic and recreational time, the parents are able to visit the patient with a greater peace of mind.
Charna’s Kids Club addresses the emo-tional needs and interests of school-age siblings of young patients. It creates a safe and caring environment in which the well siblings can continue to develop and thrive in spite of the hardships they are experiencing due to their sibling’s strug-gle with a devastating illness. This is very important as these children, alongside their parents, usually witness the physi-cal decline of their siblings.
Our highly specialized staff members support these siblings throughout every step of their emotionally difficult journey. They utilize therapeutic, medical, educa-tional, and recreational forms of play to teach the siblings how to cope in their new environment. Among other factors, these activities are specifically devel-oped and used according to a child’s age, the severity and type of illness, and the relationship with the sibling.
Coping strategies include, but are not limited to, recognizing and verbalizing one’s own emotions and developing empathy for other children who might be exhibiting pain, anger, or frustration as well. Siblings also learn that their feelings are normal and that they are not alone. These are often the first steps in learning how to develop coping skills, work through problems, and ask for help when needed.
A Safe Place to Feelwhere children feel safe and valued
There is an overwhelming need for Charna’s Kids Club, our award-winning sibling support program. Hospital administrators from around the world have inquired about establishing our program in their children’s hospitals, but we need your help to make these important services available to them. Please make a generous donation today!
Remember, our expansion has begun and we will now provide our cost-free program in two locations. We sponsor ALL of the supplies, services, catering, activities, special events, and the salaries for our Program Coordinators and staff members. We would be especially grateful for your continued support, and it would mean so much to the children.
“I have been to a lot ofhospitals. I think this is thebest because they have a
place for siblings. We usually don’t have a place.”
“Charna’s Kids” Need You!
Allison Blum YessinOffice of [email protected]
Giustine S. AltschulerOffice of [email protected]
www.charnaradbellfoundation.org
TO MAKE A DONATIONThe Charna Radbell Foundation245 East 63rd Street, Suite 1012New York, New York 10065
Arlene and Larry Radbell, TrusteesNicole and Jason Rabin, TrusteesJulia Wannamaker, Executive Director
Charna Radbell was a vibrant and wonderful young woman who, in the prime of her life, lost her courageous battle with colon cancer. Un-derstanding and recognizing the challenges of fighting a life threatening disease, Charna was always very concerned with the welfare of oth-ers. It was her vision to help many people of var-ious ages, races, and economic backgrounds. Even in her final days, it became her mission to bring sunshine into the lives of children who were suffering with serious illnesses, especial-ly the well siblings of school-age patients who would feel “forgotten” during such difficult times.
Charna recognized the value of such support which included the well being of the entire fam-ily. Before she passed, Charna established the
Charna Radbell Foundation in order to spread hope and sunshine to all those who would walk through the doors at Charna’s Kids Club.
Today, Charna would be so proud and humbled. Over the years so many people have honored her legacy with their commitment to the founda-tion’s mission. Their participation and generosity continue to help thousands of families each year.
In fact, the impact of Charna’s Kids Club has far exceeded our expectations. Our sibling support program has become an award-winning one with a global reach, serving as a model for other chil-dren’s hospitals throughout the world. We are so grateful to all those who have made this possible.
Arlene and Larry Radbell Nicole and Jason Rabin
Remembering Charna Radbell
Reasons to GivePlease help our siblings get the therapeutic care they need. Your donations will provide the following benefits to thousands of these special children who are in need, and the positive impact you make possible will last a lifetime:
• emotionally and developmentally appropriate sibling support • a variety of coping techniques • a network of siblings who share similar experiences • an improved quality of life for the siblings and their families
For more information about Charna’s Kids Club or to make a donation, please call 212.750.9890.
Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
