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171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414


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Support Groups

Support groups provide a valuable resource to our patients and family members. MUSC Children's Hospital offers several support groups and also promotes many support groups offered in the community.

Angel Wings
Angel Wings' mission is to show God's love and support to moms and dads who at any time have experienced prenatal or postnatal death of a baby. This support group provides information and a caring place to talk about their loss and to educate the community about perinatal loss. Services offered include group support, telephone suport, literature, pastoral care, education, hospital visits and annual memorial services. Meetings are held at Saint Luke's Lutheran Church in the spring and fall. Contact Karen Schultz with Saint Luke's Lutheran Church at (843) 873-2652 for more information.

Adoption Support Group
This is a 6-week structured support group for mothers of adopted children and those who wish to adopt. Registration fees are $30 for Center For Women members and $35 for non-members. For more information visit www.C4women.org or call (843) 763-7333 to register and to learn more about additional support groups also being offered.

Bereavement Support Group for Teens
A structured 8-week support group for teens who have experienced the death of a loved one or those who have a loved one with a life-threatening illness. Held at various times throughout the year at the Mourning to Morning Bereavement Center at Hospice of Charleston. For information about upcoming groups, please contact Paula Mellichamp, Bereavement Counselor, at 529-3100 or by e-mail at pmellichamp@hospiceofcharleston.org.

Can-Teen (for teenagers with cancer)
Can-Teen is a support group for adolescents with cancer. Can-teen provides opportunities for teens to meet their peers, have fun, offer resources and promote well-being and leadership. Can-Teen was created to bring teenagers with cancer together so they can share experiences, help those that are newly diagnosed and to build friendships. This group meets on a monthly basis. For more information, call Michelle Vandermaas at (843) 792-1380 or Christine Campbell at (843) 792-4152.

Family Connections of South Carolina
Family Connections' mission is to strengthen families who have children with developmental delays, disabilities or chronic illnesses through a parent-to-parent network of family-focused support to provide assurance, information, community awareness and enhanced parent/professional relationships. Click here for more information.

FitKids After-School Program
This program is designed to help children learn how to establish healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Staff members include a nutritionist, an exercise pshychologist and a child psychologist. This 4-week program for children ages 9-12 will be held April 5-29, 3:45-5:15 p.m., every Tuesday and Thursday at the Harper Student Center. Space is limited to 16 children and the fee is $125. Download the registration form (pdf) or for more information, call (843) 792-4141 or email newtonj@musc.edu.

Heart to Heart (for families of children with heart disease)
Heart to Heart meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 3-4 p.m. Contact Robin Ohlinger at (843) 792-3179 for more information.

The Lowcountry Sickle Cell Support Group This group meets monthyl at the Colleton County Memorial Library, 600 Hampton Street, in Walterboro. For more information and to find out when the next meeting is, e-mail Lowcountry.Support@gmail.com or call Melissa at (843)549-7046.

Mothers of Multiples (for parents with twins, triplets and more)
The Charleston Area Mothers of Multiples club offers support for mothers, parents and caregivers of multiples through camaraderie, education materials and speakers. CAMOM is a local, non-profit group that was started over 30 years ago and currently has over 120 members. Meetings are open to all and take place the second Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., at St. Francis Hospital (or a local restaurant). Support meetings are held the fourth Thursday of each month at Barnes & Noble in in the Tri-County area. for more information.

Shannon's Hope (for children who have lost someone close to them)
Shannon's Hope is a special weekend camp for grieving children from 6 to 15 years of age. Held at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island since 1989, Shannon's Hope offers an opportunity for children to experience an accepting and fun environment in which they can express and share their feelings about the loss of a parent, sibling, grandparent or close friend. A small fee for the weekend camp is requested, however, scholarships are available based on need. For more information on Shannon's Hope, call Jenny Cooke volunteer coordinator, or Carol Willis, director of Social Work Services, at 529-3100 or 1-800-617-6152. Shannon's Hope is a program provided by Hospice of Charleston.

Sickle Cell Sisters (for teenage girls with sickle cell disease)
Sickle Cell Sisters is a therapeutic support group for teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 18. The group focuses on psychosocial aspects of living with sickle cell disease. This support group meets every other month. For more information about this group contact Christine Campbell Marcoux (843) 792-4152 or Jennifer Redfern (843) 792-2466.

Strength in Sharing (for parents of premature and sick newborns)
Provides parents of premature and sick newborns direct support to assist with coping and adjusting to having an infant in the hospital. This support group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Room 841 of the Children's Hospital. For more information contact Irene Dorsey at (843) 792-2426.

Tender Memories Perinatal Loss Support Group
The Tender Memories Perinatal Loss Support Group helps men and women deal with grief and depression they feel after losing a pregnancy. This free group, led by obstetric nurses trained in pregnancy bereavement issues meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Prenatal Wellness Center, 135 Cannon Street, Suite 202 (Cannon Place), in Charleston, SC. Please call (843) 792-6395 for more information.

The Parent Experience: A Support Group for Families of Children with Disabilities
Parents who receive news that their child has a diagnosis or a disability have one thing in common - the news they received was not what they planned for their child or for themselves. They are about to embark on an unexpected journey but they don't have to travel alone. Click here to learn more.

Turner Syndrome Society Support Group
The Palmetto Chapter of the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States is back! To learn more, please contact Robin Butler at (843) 252-9622 or e-mail auntrobin74@yahoo.com. You may also contact Cheryl Dashnaw at (843) 327-6769 or e-mail at minibotl@sc.rr.com for more information.


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