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My Story…

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A cancer diagnosis, along with its vigorous treatment protocols, can be traumatic for both patients and caregivers. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that as many as 1 in 4 recent cancer patients have PTSD while caregivers can also develop PTSD. According to the ACS, one study found that almost 1 in 5 families with teenage cancer survivors had a parent with PTSD. It is Vineyard Haven’s mission to ease the trauma, isolation and fear of cancer for patients and families by replacing thoughts of cancer with the joy, peace and happiness that comes with a very special week away.

The Jimmy Fund Clinic assesses their current patient-families for a respite week away based on both medical criteria (i.e., ability to travel) as well as “family backstory” which includes financial means, level of trauma (from diagnosis through surgery, treatment, relapse, etc.) and overall desire to “get away from it all.”  These families are then referred to Vineyard Havens for intake where we match the family to an amazing beach house and begin to help the family’s dream about their week away on Martha’s Vineyard. For some families, monopoly on the back porch and grilling out on the deck is sheer joy and more than enough. 

One teenage boy with relapsed leukemia, a first generation American, had only lived in apartments with a stove - never an oven - so his dream was to bake real chocolate chip cookies in a real oven at the beach house. For others, they want to try everything: fishing, clamming, a sailboat ride at sunset or a biplane ride around the island. But no matter which kind of respite families choose, they all share a few things in common: each family gets a beautiful beach house for the week, professional family beach photos, round trip car ferry tickets, and a refrigerator stocked when they arrive to their vacation home - all paid for by Vineyard Havens. 

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