About

The first On Belay program was held on June 5, 2004, at the University of New Hampshire’s Browne Center with eighteen participants.

Today On Belay hosts multiple programs and events throughout the year at various venues throughout New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and the North Shore of Massachusetts, serving over 150 families across New England.

Our Mission

To build connection and community among youth who have or have had a loved one with cancer using adventure programs that encourage participants to uncover their inner resilience.

Our Vision

Community is always available to children whose lives are impacted by cancer. Children know they are not alone and still have permission to have fun.

 Our Impact

When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it impacts the whole family system. A cancer diagnosis is just the beginning of what can be a challenging and isolating experience for a child.

Often children with cancer in the family experience:

  • Increased levels of distress and anxiety
  • Difficulty expressing their emotions regarding their loved one’s cancer
  • Increased levels of isolation, withdrawal, and feelings of loneliness
  • Feeling different from peers and an inability to receive support from them

It can be hard to recognize the impact a loved one’s cancer has on a child even with a parent's strong efforts to maintain “normalcy” in the home.

While there are a plethora of supports and programs for individuals with cancer, the needs of the rest of the family system are often left unsupported. This is where On Belay comes in.

At On Belay, we bring together youth who have a loved one with cancer in treatment, in remission, or who have lost a loved one to cancer.

Through adventure programs, On Belay provides children with a supportive community of kids who understand, the opportunity to uncover one’s inner resilience, and a fun day about them and not cancer.

On Belay programs have been found to:

  • Reduce isolation in youth
  • Normalize the cancer experience
  • Create feelings of strength and empowerment
  • Provide a community of peers who understand and can empathize

70%

of participants report making a new friend

73%

of participants report
feeling better

100%

of participant’s parents described their general impression of On Belay programs as high quality

99%

of participants would attend another On Belay program

97%

of participant’s parents rated the quality of their child’s experience a 5/5

Thanks to our generous donors, our programs are always free and open to participants at all stages of their loved one’s illness, regardless of when they receive treatment.

1 Inhesten, Johannsen & Bergelt (2021) Families Affected by Parental Cancer: Quality of Life, Impact on Children and Psychosocial Care Needs 2 Kennedy & Lloyd-Williams (2021) How children cope with a parent has advanced cancer, Visser & Huizinga (2007) Emotional and behavioral problems in children of parents recently diagnosed with cancer: a longitudinal study; Veach (1999) Family of Adult Cancer Patients; Faulkner (2002) Children and Adolescents of Cancer Patients: The Impact of Cancer on the Family; Savard (2012) Psychological Distress Among Adolescents Living with a Parent with Advanced Cancer 3 Bottomley (2012) When a parent has cancer: challenges to patients, their families and health providers 4 Tucker, Sugerman & Zelov (2013) On Belay: Providing Connection, Support, and Empowerment to Children Who Have a Parent With Cancer

Through the support of being "On Belay," we give participants a chance to connect with other children facing similar challenges while learning to support others, ask for help, and develop confidence.

 Our History

On Belay continues in the memory of its vibrant and determined founder, Crescentia Healy-True, who continues to inspire.

On Belay was created in 2004 when Crescentia Healy-True, a Durham resident and tenacious mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Immediately putting the needs of her daughters before her own, Crescentia was determined to ensure that the two girls, ages ten and twelve, would have a community of friends to confide in and to look to for support while their mother was in treatment and after she was gone. 

After researching available programs, Crescentia determined that none were the right fit for her animated, active, and adventurous girls. Driven by her love for her daughters, and in between aggressive chemo and radiation treatments, Crescentia created On Belay.

Crescentia recognized that traditional support groups are not always the answer for every child and that many children living through traumatic family situations fall between the cracks.

She, along with the core group of founding board members and volunteers, believed that using adventure activities to enhance confidence and self-esteem can provide children with the tools to find their way through challenging situations.

The first On Belay program was held on June 5, 2004 at the University of New Hampshire’s Browne Center with eighteen participants.

Today On Belay hosts multiple programs and events throughout the year at multiple venues throughout New Hampshire, Southern Maine and the North Shore of Massachusetts, serving over 150 families from across New England.