What to Expect From SuperSibs!

When you (or another professional on your support team, or a parent/guardian, teacher, etc.) refer a family to SuperSibs!, you have our commitment to provide prompt, professional, evidence-based, personalized programs and services for this family… and specifically, for each SuperSibs! child and teen. We also promise to provide you -- the medical and psycho-oncology professionals – with updated information, resources and materials to ensure that siblings are integrated as a standard of care when families are faced with pediatric cancer.

Throughout the year, each sibling between the ages of 4-18 will receive special mail that will provide comfort, information and a smile to brighten their days, face the emotional challenge of cancer, and to remind them how unique, special and important they are.

Remember, “Once a SuperSib! Always a SuperSib!” Once referred into to our program, brothers and sisters continue to receive our support until they turn 19, or until we receive a family request that we discontinue services.

Also, we continue to serve siblings if they become bereaved. We must be notified if a patient has died, so we can provide appropriate grief comfort and care materials to those siblings in our program.

Upon a family’s referral to our program, siblings can expect the following:

  1. Personalized Welcome Packages for each brother and sister, containing age-appropriate SuperSibs! information and inspiration, as well as tools and resources for parents to support siblings.
  2. The 1st year after siblings are enrolled, they will each receive individual Core Comfort and Care packages that will arrive approximately 10 times that first year. These packages are intended to give siblings inspiration, helpful information and encouragement to express the many feelings they will have during this journey.
  3. The 2nd and 3rd years siblings are in our program, they will receive our Ongoing Comfort and Care mailings.
  4. The 4th year siblings are in our program, they will receive quarterly mail to remind them how very special they are!
  5. Alumni status happens after 4 years in the program, and siblings will receive mail from us on or around National Sibling Day, April 10th, and during November for “Happy ThankSibling.”
  6. YEAR ROUND siblings can access special areas of our website designed specifically for young children through teens (each age group has their OWN links to explore) at www.supersibs.org and clicking on The Sib Spot. This way, siblings don’t need to wait for mail to arrive at home… they can access letters, drawings, activities, information, tips and much more as they wish (with parental permission) right from our website. Encourage siblings to check the site each month, for updated inspiration and support on The Sib Spot.

If there is any change in a family (new address, family members, health status change, etc.) PLEASE notify is so we can ensure continued and appropriate support for that family’s situation.

Throughout the year, we hope your hospital support team will continue to integrate and strengthen sibling support on-site. SuperSibs! will continue to work tirelessly to be a resource to you caring professionals, providing materials and tools to ensure TOTAL family healing.

Having a brother or sister with cancer can be challenging in different ways. At times, siblings may feel invisible, angry, alone or even forgotten in the background. SuperSibs! is here because we know that siblings are unique and special – and that they need support and recognition, too.

If you have questions or would like more information – call us:
In Illinois: (847) 705-SIBS (7427) or Toll Free: 866-444-SIBS (7427)