PeerWISE & ParentWISE

PeerWISE

Patients often find comfort in talking with people who have been in their shoes. PeerWISE volunteers are former patients over 18 who can mentor teen patients, and sometimes even their parents, as they go through the treatment process.

PeerWISE volunteers talk with patients and families about what it’s like to go through treatment, and about daily life after treatment. These conversations help normalize what can be extraordinary care plans, encouraging patients to stick to their treatments and cope with the associated challenges.

Speak with a Volunteer

Our coordinators work with families and volunteers to create connections between patients and former patients with similar care experiences. Contact parentwise@luriechildrens.org​ or 312.227.3280 if you would like to have a PeerWISE coordinator contact you about participating in the program.

PeerWISE
PeerWISE – Main Landing Page
Similar to our ParentWISE® program , our patients and former patients find comfort in talking with people who have been in their shoes. PeerWISE is a way for patients and former patients over 18 to mentor adolescents and teens, and sometimes even their parents, as they go through the treatment process.

Our PeerWISE volunteers talk with patients and families about what it’s like to go through treatment, and also how their lives are currently. These conversations help normalize what can be extraordinary care plans, encouraging patients to stick to their treatments to make sure they also get great results.

Contact a Volunteer
Our volunteer coordinators work with families and volunteers to schedule meetings between people with children with similar experiences. Contact Volunteer Services if you would like to have a volunteer coordinator contact you about participating in the program.

Get Involved
Read about our volunteers for more information on how you can become a PeerWISE volunteer.

If you are a parent of a former patient and would like to become part of a similar support program, read more about our ParentWISE program.
     

ParentWISE

As the person making day-to-day healthcare decisions for your child, you may feel uncertain, anxious and isolated. Not even well-intentioned family and friends may know first-hand what you are going through. But there are other parents who do.

Our Parent Volunteers

Our trained ParentWISE® (Parent Wisdom In Shared Experience) volunteers are available in person or by phone to offer hope and practical support to families. They have this unique ability because they are parents of children who have received specialized care or treatment.

ParentWISE® is a unique hospital volunteer program, offered by parents for parents. In 2013, ParentWISE received national recognition when it was granted a Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence by the American Hospital Association.

Building on the common bond of children's illness or care experiences, ParentWISE:

  • Connects the parents of current patients with experienced and specially-trained parent volunteers who listen and offer support in multiple ways
  • Empowers parents to partner effectively with their child’s care team and to advocate for their child’s care needs
  • Supports families in managing the stresses of having a child who needs specialized care or treatment 

Speak with a Volunteer

ParentWISE coordinators work with families and volunteers to create connections between caregivers with similar experiences. Contact parentwise@luriechildrens.org​ or 312.227.3280 if you would like to have a coordinator contact you about participating in the program. 

If you are a patient and would like to become part of a similar support program, read more about our PeerWISE program.​

Support for Parents with Gender-questioning or Transgender Youth

ParentWISE offers an opportunity for parents/caregivers from the program to connect with a trained volunteer who has first-hand experience in parenting a gender-diverse or transgender child.

View our flyer to learn more: English​ | Español​​​