CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network that provides free services that keep families and loved ones connected during any type of health event. Through a personal CaringBridge website with customized security settings and no ads, families can easily update those who care about the person experiencing the health event without being overwhelmed by constant calls and personal visits. This allows the immediate care group to experience the support of extended family and friends while enabling them to focus their energies on the person in crisis.
Family and friends stay involved by reading journal entries; viewing comments, photos, and videos; and leaving messages of love and support in the guestbook. The planner helps family and friends coordinate care and organize tasks, such as bringing meals, taking care of pets, and helping with yard work.
The Steinback family used CaringBridge when their daughter Julia was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a childhood blood cancer. During Julia’s nearly three years of treatment, she and her family could count on one constant: the emotional and physical support they received from friends and relatives who followed her story on CaringBridge.
“I wanted to be able to get information to people and didn’t want to make 500 calls a day,” says Julia’s mother, Joy. “It was really difficult to talk about out loud, and so that first week we were already posting new journal updates twice a day. It felt incredible to have people all over the world checking in and sending us prayers, good thoughts, love, and hugs.”
To start a website for yourself or someone else, visit www.caringbridge.org.
