Since its founding, Lucy’s Love Bus has dedicated itself to bringing comfort, relief, and moments of joy to children with cancer and their family members. Today, thanks to generous funding from the Ilene Beal Charitable Foundation and The Parmenter Foundation, Lucy's Love Bus is thrilled to announce a major expansion of Ilene’s Caregivers, a program designed to support parents and caregivers of children with cancer. Initially launched in 2022, the program has successfully provided essential services to families with complex caregiving needs. Today, as we recognize National Caregivers Month, we are excited to announce that we are broadening this program to welcome ALL parents of children with cancer across New England.

A Program Inspired by a Founder’s Journey
The launch of Ilene’s Caregivers in 2022 marked the completion of a “full circle” of care that Beecher Grogan, co-founder of Lucy’s Love Bus, had long envisioned. Beecher’s experience as the mother of a child with cancer taught her firsthand how critical it is for caregivers to have the ability to “push pause.” During Lucy’s four year journey with cancer, Beecher found that one of her greatest challenges was finding ways to care for herself while supporting her daughter through grueling treatments and raising her other children. Ilene’s Caregivers was created to honor that need, providing Love Bus parents the kind of respite that Beecher herself so deeply needed during that difficult time.

New England Caregivers: An Expanded Circle of Support
Since the program’s pilot phase, Ilene’s Caregivers has focused on families facing exceptionally challenging caregiving circumstances. Initially, eligibility was limited to single parents or families coping with a child’s poor prognosis, relapse, or severe chronic side effects, as well as families bereaved within the past year. This approach allowed Lucy’s Love Bus to gauge the need and establish sustainable funding.

Now, with funding firmly in place and increasing demand across New England, Love Bus is proud to expand the Ilene’s Caregivers program to ALL parents and caregivers of children with cancer in the region. Every family deserves the care and support of a community, and with the enhanced resources, Lucy’s Love Bus is thrilled to extend this essential program to all eligible families in need of respite, community, and self-care.

How Ilene’s Caregivers Supports Families
The expanded Ilene’s Caregivers program provides a menu of self-care, respite, and community support options designed to help caregivers find strength and solace on their journey. Through both structured support groups and one-on-one services, the program offers caregivers a network of compassionate, peer-driven support and relief. Families are invited to participate in the following offerings:

• Weekly Online Peer-to-Peer Support Group for parents and caregivers
• Monthly Online Peer-to-Peer Support Groups for: Bereaved Parents and Caregivers; Dads/male caregivers; Spanish-speaking caregivers 
• One-on-One Support Calls with program manager Colleen Tierney, who is a parent of a child with cancer and understands the challenges caregivers face
• Monthly virtual integrative therapy sessions and recordings, providing introductions to healing modalities that individuals can practice on their own time and add to their toolkit for managing stress, including: 
  • Tong Ren Sessions, a group energy healing technique held in collaboration with Open Channels Energy 
  • Restorative yoga, a gentle, passive style of yoga that aims to promote relaxation and healing, led by Sarah Oleson Yoga
  • Guided mindfulness and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, a non-invasive technique that involves tapping on specific points of the body to help manage emotions and reduce stress led by Ann Biese

In addition, the program now provides one-time funding awards to all caregivers, which can be used for a range of self-care and respite activities, such as:

• Massage therapy, spa services, yoga classes, or energy healing sessions
• Individual, group, or partner counseling
• Support from an independent healthcare advocate
• Respite weekend retreats
• Home visits and end-of-life doula care for families navigating the end-of-life journey

These offerings are available to New England parents and caregivers of children with cancer who are currently in treatment, coping with late effects, or who have passed away within the last five years.

Why Caregiver Support Matters
Caregivers of children with cancer often experience physical and emotional burdens that are both immense and unrecognized. Studies show that when caregivers receive adequate support, the well-being of the entire family improves. As caregivers learn to balance their own needs with the care of their children, they are better equipped to manage stress, prevent burnout, and create a nurturing environment that positively impacts every family member.

Lucy’s Love Bus has seen firsthand how important Ilene’s Caregivers is to those it serves. Participants often share that just knowing support is available provides comfort, even if they never use the funding. However, the expansion ensures that no family will be turned away due to prior restrictions. This inclusivity is vital; caregivers who have been eligible for all support options as part of the pilot program have expressed their desire to “pay it forward” so that all caregivers can experience the benefits of Ilene’s Caregivers. They understand that even small moments of self-care can be transformative for a caregiver’s well-being, and, in turn, for the well-being of the child and family.

Moving Forward: A Welcoming Community for All
Through the dedication of supporters, Lucy’s Love Bus is able to open Ilene’s Caregivers to a broader group. Word-of-mouth continues to spread, increasing demand for support and underlining the importance of this expansion. This growth reflects the generosity and compassion of our supporters and the resilience of the families we serve. With gratitude for our community, Lucy’s Love Bus looks forward to welcoming more caregivers into the supportive fold of Ilene’s Caregivers. This expansion not only brings tangible benefits but also sends a powerful message to families affected by childhood cancer: You are not alone. We see you, we honor you, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

If you are a parent/caregiver of a child with cancer in New England and are seeking more information, please contact our Caregivers Program Manager, Colleen Tierney, at colleen@lucyslovebus.org.