“Welcome to Our Nest.” This is the sign you first see when walking in the door at Tu Nidito.

Tu Nidito’s mission is to provide support for children and their families as they deal with terminal illness and death. Their services include advocacy, community outreach, grief support, a lending library of books and videos, therapeutic camps, and one-on-one support.

The non-profit organization opened its doors in 1996 helping two families. Eleven years later they help about 800 families each year.

Tu NIdito started out of necessity in Tucson, Ariz. as a growing border town, and remains the only agency in Arizona that provides this comprehensive program.

“So many people need what we do,” said Becky Swivel, development associate. “A lot of kids don’t get to properly grieve and then their attitude gets worse. This helps keep them out of trouble.”

According to Swivel, being here allows children to talk to one another about their feelings toward death and illness. The primary way this happens is through support groups designed for children.

Every Tuesday through Thursday night, these groups meet for about two hours. This is a time when children can sit on pillows with stuffed animals and talk to one another.

Each group is broken up by age. Children start the support groups from as young as 42 months old, but any terminally ill child is allowed to attend these sessions.

There are also special sessions for Spanish speakers.

“We want that to grow because we know there is a need for it here,” Swivel said.

Another important part of the organization is the charity events it takes part in every year.

One of the biggest is El Tour de Tucson, which will occur on November 17—this is their third year being the primary beneficiary of the event.

Other events include a Thanksgiving dinner for families, and a "Remarkable Celebration"which celebrates the life of remarkable mothers. That event alone raised about $150,000 in 2007.

During the holidays, members of the community donate gift cards to Tu Nidito families to places like Walgreens or Wal-Mart so they can buy medication and essentials for their children.

According to Swivel, people are always willing to help out and it means so much to the children. American Airlines, for instance, hosts an annual holiday party for children and their families as well.

“So many organizations seek us out,” Swivel said. “We’re fortunate that happens and that we can provide these opportunities.”

Events like this help the grieving process and allow families to have a little bit of fun. It also allows them to be with people who are like themselves outside of the Tu Nidito house.

Swivel said this is important because a lot of the time, these children cannot relate to others at school.

“Being able to come somewhere and talk about death and know someone will understand is great,” Swivel said. “We also get feedback from families that this is a huge relief for them.”

With everything that’s happening in the future, this feedback should continue to be positive.

In the spring of 2008, the Memorial Garden is expected to be completed. This garden will be a special place for children and their families to create a lasting tribute for those who have died.

Also, a new building was just finished that will house more rooms for support groups for older children, made possible from many grants and private donations.

“We have a really good and helpful community that supports us,” Swivel said. “We’ve made a name for ourselves, but want to spread the word enough so that if anybody needs us, we can help.”

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