Nobody really understands the feelings, the fears, and the pain of a seriously ill child except another
seriously ill child. Over the past several months, a lot of my comfort has come from Cancer Kids and Cancer Kid "penpals"
that I have met not only in the Children's Hospital and on special outings, but also on the Sick Kids discussion list.
Some are in Canada, some are in the USA, some are from other countries, some are active patients, and some are in remission.
But without exception, we all seem to have a common and warm inner bond that lets us reach out to each other and touch each
others' hearts.
This page provides links to some excellent discussion lists.
PLEASE NOTE: Cancer Kids and their caregivers can be very fragile, both physically and emotionally. Please DO NOT
attempt to join one of these lists unless you qualify, and if you do decide to become a "penpal" for a sick child or one
of their caregivers, always send a gentle request first ... before you send a long letter. While it is a very remote
possibility, the caregivers of all the the kids on these lists are given instructions on how to filter and trace any
questionable E-Mail, and what information to give to the list administrators in order to immediately identify the culprit.
A lot of these Cancer Kids are VERY, VERY ill and any prank letters would not only be very stupid, but also very
uncool.
SickKids is a discussion list for kids (18 and under) who are ill. No adults are allowed to join this list,
nor are any kids who are not sick. It is a place for kids to talk about their feelings and frustrations. On SickKids you
can exchange information, share feelings, form friendships, vent frustrations, tell jokes, write stories, read stories,
talk about fears, express your anger, encourage others, make suggestions, or ... ? I was recently honoured by being
appointed as a Discussion Manager for this list.
To join the SickKids Discussion List, click HERE, and when the blank
e-mail form appears, press your computer's "Tab" key three times to move the cursor down to the message area of the form, and
type "subscribe SickKids FirstName LastName" (leaving out the quotation marks, but replacing "FirstName" with your own
first name, and "LastName" with your own last name). Don't make any other changes to the e-mail document before you
send it.
CaringParents is a discussion list for adults who have, or who know of a child who is seriously ill.
Kids are not allowed to join this list. It is a place where you can talk openly about your child's illness with people who
both care and understand. On CaringParents you can learn about new treatments that may help your child or the children of
others, you can share your feelings and fears , talk about what makes it easier to live day-to-day, encourage others or
receive encouragement for yourself, or you can discuss almost anything else that is important to you.
To join the CaringParents Discussion List, click HERE, and when the blank
e-mail form appears, press your computer's "Tab" key three times to move the cursor down to the message area of the form, and
type "subscribe CaringParents FirstName LastName" (leaving out the quotation marks, but replacing "FirstName" with your
own first name, and "LastName" with your own last name). Don't make any other changes to the e-mail document before you
send it.
CaringKids is a discussion list for kids who have family members or friends with life-threatening or
debilitating diseases. Adults are not allowed to join this list. It is a place to talk about the feelings and frustrations
associated with knowing someone who is seriously ill. On CaringKids you can talk about your parents/siblings/friends
illness, how it makes you feel to know someone who is ill, you can talk about your fears, receive support if you lose
someone you love, tell jokes and write poems, make new friends, or discuss anything else that concerns or delights you.
To join the CaringKids Discussion List, click HERE, and when the blank
e-mail form appears, press your computer's "Tab" key three times to move the cursor down to the message area of the form, and type
"subscribe CaringKids FirstName LastName" (leaving out the quotation marks, but replacing "FirstName" with your own first
name, and "LastName" with your own last name). Don't make any other changes to the e-mail document before you send it.
Ability On-Line Another series of discussion lists based in Toronto, Ontario.
E-Mail Basics How To Send And Receive E-Mail
Smileys Add some emotion to your E-Mail
Return To My Home Page Did you find any good penpals?
Contacts For Cancer Kids