Opening Remarks
Becky Bosley, BSN, RN
IMF Senior Director,
Support Groups
Oncology Nurse | Cancer Survivor | Support Group Leader
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Thank You to our Donors!
Program Slides & Evaluation
Sunday Morning Agenda
Trees of Hope: Creating and Maintaining Hope in the Myeloma Community
Susan Dunnett, PhD Professor University of Edinburgh Business School
Trees of Hope: Creating and Maintaining Hope in the Myeloma Community
Professor Susan Dunnett
University of Edinburgh
Today’s Session
• MM Hope project, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, with Professor Kathy Hamilton, Strathclyde University, Glasgow
• Presentation and two activities at your tables
• Feedback to the wider group – idea exchange
• End with take aways and actions and feeling hopeful!
What is Hope?
• Hope is an emotional attitude and pathway to action
• Hope is a way of thinking – goal orientation
• Hope is linked to positive outcomes in illness and life
• Hope is a mobiliser and brings people together –individual and collective action
• Hope is the bedrock of resilience and general wellbeing
“Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.”
Our Project – The Power of Art and Metaphor
• Why “Trees of Hope”?
• Data collection process – 3 focus groups and 20 interviews, diversity
• Our aim was to understand hope – questions explored sources of hope, when hope fades, sustaining hope, what hope feels like
• Our artist, Jenny Capon, created visual minutes
– Trees of Hope
Tree of Hope, Remain Strong, 1946 by Frida Kahlo
Activity: Tree of Hope
Populate the tree by adding sources of hope for you.
Prompts: What does hope mean to you?
When did you begin to feel hope after diagnosis? What role do support groups play in encouraging hope?
How do you balance hope with uncertainty?
Reflections on the Trees of Hope
• Differences in the trees?
• Patient FG focused on learning about treatment options;
• Care partners focused on offering emotional and practical support;
• Over time patients seek to contribute to community;
• Over time care partners learn to accept help from community and to prioritise self-care.
We then moved to interviews and looked for themes and patterns in the data – what creates and sustains hope?
Interview Findings
Hope from……..
SCIENCE
FAITH COMMUNITY FINDING JOY GIVING BACK
Science
• Hope from information empowers people to face uncertainty with greater confidence
• Hope from current treatment options and future breakthroughs – the importance of the pipeline
• What we found surprising – the notion of comfort
Knowledge is comforting.
Faith
• Hope from a combination of faith and science
• Hope from believing that difficult experiences have purpose and meaning
• Hope from comfort and optimism
Community
• Hope from connection and sense of belonging
• Hope from shared experiences
• Hope from care partners and loved ones
• Hope from working together to solve problems
• Hope from allowing others to help
Finding Joy
• Hope from finding meaning in everyday life
• Hope from maintaining hobbies and relationships
• Hope from living in the present
• Hope from looking forward to future experiences
The horizon for hope is much closer.
Giving Back
• Hope from transforming difficult experiences into opportunities to help others
• Hope from contributing to community and support groups
• Hope from sharing experiences and knowledge and educating others
• Hope from a sense of purpose
These are my companions.
Wisdom from the MM Community
Quotes capture feelings….
Activity Two – Using the Tree of Hope Materials
Consider the materials on your table and the tree you have created together, discuss the following, assign a scribe to record your ideas.
• How does it feel to see these sources of hope together?
• How could support groups and the IMF use these materials to create hope?
• How will you use them in your group?
Feedback and Final Thoughts
The MM community is rich in hope – support groups are central to education, connection, belonging and giving back
Science, Faith, Community, Finding Joy, Giving Back – how could your group incorporate these sources of hope?
Program Wrap-Up
Becky Bosley, BSN, RN
Program Slides & Evaluation
Shuttle Schedule
Shuttles begin now and will run every 30 minutes until 4:30PM today.
Lunchtime Sit Down or Grab & Go Buffet
Thank You, Leaders, for attending the IMF’s 27th Annual Support Group Leaders Summit!
We hope that you feel inspired to continue your own Hope in Action and embrace both the Science & Art of your Leadership!
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Thank You to our Donors!