‘Chance to be normal:’ Group hosts mountain retreat for families facing childhood cancer
Nonprofit Lighthouse Family Retreat hosted a weekend retreat in Black Mountain for several families facing childhood cancer and 14 sponsors of the retreat.
By Samiar Nefzi
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BLACK MOUNTAIN, North Carolina (WLOS) — Lighthouse Family Retreat hosted a jampacked weekend for families dealing with childhood cancer in Black Mountain.
The nonprofit hosted a weekend getaway Nov. 11-13 for six families currently battling cancer, along with 14 sponsor families.
“We want to reach out and help as many families as we can because we know just how tough it is to navigate the unknown,” said Thomas Barron, of South Carolina.
The Barron family decide to sponsor a family for the retreat after utilizing the program themselves.
“The cancer journey is hard,” said Rachael Walkup, with Lighthouse Family Retreat. “We really want to provide a place for them to find rest and joy, family fun. A lot of times they don’t get to have that fun, and we want to provide them with that.”
Organizers told News 13 this is an opportunity for families to “escape the chaos of cancer and reconnect with one another.”
“[It’s] a chance to be normal when normal is not allowed,” said Thomas Barron. “It’s not even in your vocabulary anymore.” For the Barron family, this marks their third retreat; only this time, they’re lending a helping hand to other families.
“We’ve been recipients of Lighthouse on three different trips,” said Lynn Barron. “This was a chance to give back.”
In June 2018, the Barron family joined what they called the “cancer family network” after their then 3-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, was diagnosed with Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a highly aggressive brain tumor which is often inoperable.
“Your whole world is flipped upside down,” Lynn explained.
In Mackenzie’s case, the tumor is inoperable, and no treatment is available.
“[Doctors said] the best thing you can do is go home and make memories,” said Lynn. “That was hard.”
Mackenzie received a grim prognosis of 18 months — but four years later and she’s defying all odds.
“I think this is the better side of it,” said Lynn. “Actually serving and seeing the kids play and the moms and dads… You can tell how much they need that reset and connection.”
Click lighthousefamilyretreat.org to learn more about Lighthouse Family Retreat,
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