Today we’d like to introduce you to Beecher Grogan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Beecher. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My daughter, Lucy, started Lucy’s Love Bus when she was 11 years old and being treated in Boston for the relapse of a rare blood cancer. During the four years of Lucy’s illness, she found immense relief from the debilitating side effects of chemo and radiation through integrative therapies such as acupuncture, Reiki, pet therapy and massage. We lived in Amesbury, Ma at the time, and our community raised funds to support Lucy throughout her treatment. We used most of the donations to pay out of pocket for integrative therapies for Lucy.
One day while we were snuggled up in Lucy’s hospital bed at Tufts Floating Hospital for Children, Lucy turned to me and asked, “We are in Chinatown, right?” I said yes, that this was correct, and she paused, then said, “Then how come I can’t get acupuncture in this place?!”
That one little question opened up a big conversation about the pieces that are missing for children coping with cancer and life threatening illness. She had always assumed that the hospital or insurance had provided all of the integrative therapy services that she so loved. When she realized that her peers in the hospital did not have the same access, she was outraged. She said, “I thought my friends didn’t want Reiki and acupuncture. I didn’t realize they weren’t doing it because they can’t afford it!”
Having already lost 22 dear hospital friends to cancer by the time she was 11, Lucy knew that many families choose to raise funds for cancer cures in honor of their deceased children. She had a lot to say about this, too. She knew that cure is critical, but she also knew that cures for childhood cancers would be a long time coming. She worried about all of the suffering that children would experience in the meantime, and she worried about the children for whom a cure would come too late. Felt very strongly that children.
Lucy’s Love Bus was Lucy’s beautiful response to the unmet need of delivering quality of life to seriously ill children. Lucy created the mission for her foundation in January of 2006, and lived to see its formation. Tragically, she died 7 months later, but her vision and her legacy live on through Lucy’s Love Bus.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road is smoother now, but we have certainly had our share of struggles over the past 12 years. Many bereaved parents decide to launch non-profits in honor of their children who have passed, but very few (including me) realize exactly what they are getting into. We go into it for great reasons, and are powerfully compelled to help other parents and children have better- or at least different- outcomes than our children had. But very few of us realize that a non-profit is a business, and comes with the exact same challenges faced by any start-up. In order to launch and successfully grow a charity, the founder needs to have a handle on the basics of business, including marketing, financials, human resources, and strategy.
I was very fortunate in that I was a Program Manager for a non-profit in Boston called Interise during the years that I was working to get Love Bus off the ground. Interise offers an alternative MBA program to small business owners, and by managing that program for five years, I was able to learn about all aspects of running a business from experienced business owners and consultants. I think that my experience at Interise played a big role in our success.
Lucy’s Love Bus – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a charity that delivers comfort and quality of life to children with cancer or life-threatening illness through integrative therapies. We have three main programs: 1) Lucy’s Children- provides, $1,000 grants for integrative therapies to children with cancer all over New England, 2) The Healing Room- provides bedside integrative therapy services (including massage, yoga, meditation, music therapy and acupuncture) to children with cancer and life threatening illness at 6 major pediatric medical centers throughout New England; and 3) The Sajni Center- is our new center of hope and healing for sick children and their families. We launched our new Center in February and are building a fantastic community where children and families can heal and thrive together in a non-medical setting.
We specialize in love and hope. We are known for trusting and believing in children- and for putting the needs of children first. Always. We are an exceptionally nimble, innovative and responsive charity that is small enough to be able to quickly respond to each family’s individual needs. Our families endure an unbelievable amount of pain, stress and suffering- for years on end. We want to be the place that they can come to for a little love and light, and for a break from the chronic stress, pain, and worry that surrounds serious childhood illness.
The thing that makes me most proud in my work at Love Bus is that we were founded by a child– my own Lucy– and that in the early years, 100% of my support staff were teen volunteers. I like to say that the staff, Board and I run Love Bus from the heart of a child… meaning that we keep Lucy’s original vision and sweetness at the heart of every decision we make. It helps me feel connected to her- and ensures that we remain true to her dream and vision.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success is measured in the numbers… not the income so much, but in the number of children and families we are able to support each year. However, even more important than the number of children we help, is the depth and the breadth of the support each child receives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LucysLoveBus.org
- Phone: 8572771984
- Email: beecher@lucyslovebus.org
- Instagram: facebook.com/LucysLoveBus
- Facebook: Twitter: @lucyslovebus
- Twitter: Insta: Lucys_Love_Bus
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