Sherry’s House is a place where kids and their families can come and receive the support and encouragement they need to fight childhood cancer, together. Sherry’s House serves as a home-away-from-home for families while their child is on active treatment. Additionally, Sherry’s House proudly services as Why Me’s headquarters, housing our administrative offices and serving as home-base for many of our events and activities throughout the year.
Activities at Sherry’s House
Sherry’s House is home to a variety of Family Support Services, Activities and Events, including:
The activities and events we host at Sherry’s House allow the kids to just be kids. From our humble beginnings, Why Me recognized the need for families to meet, to share and to support each other outside of the hospital. We now are able to provide a comforting and supportive environment to give families to form enduring friendships with people who truly understand what they are going through. Families are invited to attend all of our scheduled activities and events held throughout the year.
We encourage those overwhelmed by the formal setting of support groups to come in for a quiet visit and talk with one of our staff members about any needs or concerns. While new members might not know us, we do know what they are going through.
Residence at Sherry’s House
Sherry’s House provides no-cost lodging to families while their child in on active treatment in a New England area hospital. As a temporary home-away-from-home, Sherry’s House offers a comforting environment for our families. The warmth and camaraderie of Sherry’s house stand in sharp contrast to the isolation of a hotel room during what could become weeks and months of treatment.
Sherry’s House includes eight bedrooms, all designed with children in mind. Rooms feature beautiful, kid-friendly murals featuring hand-painted themes like:
- Under the Sea
- The Jungle Book
- Circus Tent
- Storybook and Fairytales
The house also has several cozy living spaces, a children’s library and computer room, a family kitchen, a playroom gazebo, Jason’s Healing Garden, a playground, game room, Ben’s Corner – the arts & crafts center – a parents’ library and quiet room, an elevator, wireless internet access, and handicap-accessible bathrooms.
Most Why Me families live within a commutable distance of the Worcester and Boston hospitals and the majority of their care is handled through the out-patient clinic at their treating institution. These families may only need residence at Sherry’s House to make an in-patient stay easier, to facilitate an early morning admission or late discharge or to enjoy an overnight getaway. Other families relocate to the area because they follow their child’s care and find themselves far from home. They may stay for weeks or months, and come and go several times. Residential stays are a small part of the overall services we provide and each situation is unique.