YOUTH
GROUP
by
Annette Massey, Heart mom of Ryan Massey
Youth Group Bowling Extravaganza!
I
am pleased and honoured that Lea Legge, nurse clinician at the
Variety Heart Centre asked me to help her organize a few fun events
for the new youth group. The youth group is comprised of 10 to 16
year old heart kids who would like to get together once in a while
to have some fun and get to know each other. Lea and I feel that it
is important for pre-teens and teens to know that they are not alone
in their heart journey. Unlike babies that are not fully aware of
what’s going on, these kids have to deal with tremendous stress
and life questions and issues that parents and medical staff alone
do not have answers to. By making friends with other heart kids they
can support each other, talk, and know they are not alone.
Our
first get-together was on April 15th at Academy Bowling
Lanes and we all had a blast! Thirteen heart kids played for free
thanks to the donations of those who had Santa pictures taken at the
St. Vital Shopping Centre this past Christmas. Some kids brought
their siblings or a friend and they all enjoyed pizza and pop after
a couple hours of fun and glow bowling.
Youth Group Goes To Fun Mountain &
Has A SPLASH Of A Good Time!
By
Annette Massey,
Youth
Group Event Coordinator
Lots
of fun was had at Fun Mountain on Saturday, August 13th!
Seven heart families attended, most of them being from out of town.
Kudos to you for making the trek to Winnipeg!
We
enjoyed lots of thrilling slides, miniature golf, hot dogs and ice
cream. Best of all was meeting new heart kids, mingling with their
families and hearing their inspiring stories.
If
you would like to make any suggestions for the youth group, whether
it’s an outing or topics you would like our pre-teens and teens to
learn and discuss, please leave a message at 787-2535 (the Circle of
Hearts info line) and the message will be forwarded to me or Jody
Jeffrey. Or, you can email us at circleofhearts@hotmail.com. We’d
really appreciate your suggestions.
Youth
Support Meetings
By Jody Jeffrey,
Youth Support Group Coordinator
I
was very happy to find out that the youth have been getting together
and doing fun stuff. I completely agree with Lea Legge and Annette
Massey when they say that it is important for our young people to
connect, and meet other kids who are on the same heart journey.
While
I was growing up (I am 27 now), I thought it would be nice to be
involved in a group just like this. Somewhere where I could meet
other young people who understood what I was going through in
regards to living with a heart condition.
I
always had a dream about having, not only a group where everyone got
together to do fun things, but also where they could get together
and talk about their thoughts and feelings towards their health
issues.
I’m
happy to tell everyone that my vision for a youth support group is
starting to become a reality. I am inviting everyone between the ages of 10-16 to join me for our
first support meeting. It will be held on November 8th,
2005 at 7:00 pm at the Variety Children’s Heart Center.
Our meeting will be held at the same time as the parent support
meeting, but in a different room.
There
will be pizza served, as well as I’m planning to play a game to
get to know each other.
I
really hope to see you all there. I think this could be something
that will be very worthwhile for everyone!
If
you would like more information about this, please contact me at
774-9757 or 787-2532.
Youth
Group’s Name?
We
are still looking for an eye-catching name for our Youth Group.
Any suggestions?
Please
think about it, as we will be voting on your suggested names at the
next meeting.
*B.C. Heart & Soul - Your Guide to Congenital Heart Defects and
the
Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon
The teenage years are a
difficult time for most young people. It is a time when they are
trying hard to fit in with everyone else, but at the same time
trying to find their own unique place in the world. If you are
the parent of a teenage with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD), this time of life can be
particularly stormy for you and the world family.
CHDs are most often diagnosed
in infancy so the parents are the ones who learn about CHDs and
make decisions about their child’s health care needs. As children
develop into young adults, they need to be able to take care of
their own health rather than rely on their parents. This shift is
called “transition”. You may hear health care professionals talk
about “transitioning” to adult care.
Transition planning involves
youths with CHDs, their families, and the health care team.
Transition care is planned specifically for each teen based on
their personal traits such as emotional strength, intelligence,
physical abilities, personal goals, and support from family and
friends. Planning may start whenever the child or youth is
interested in learning more about the heart condition of care
needs. In general, the health care team will begin formal
education and planning for transition at about 10 years of age
(around the grade 5 level).
Because teens are reaching for
their independence, the following section is written for them
rather than for their parents. It includes self-advocacy, gaining
independence in health care, puberty and sexual development, peer
and social supports, education and vocational planning,
recreation, and making choices that will not limit their health.
As a parent, you may find the information in the section helpful,
but the greatest success will likely come if your teen reads it
and takes responsibility for his or her own health.
