Creating Safe, Supportive Communities So That No Child, Teen, or Family Grieves Alone
The Circle of Hope Breakfast is a fundraising and awareness event that brings together community members, donors, and new supporters to learn about The Children’s Room. Families we’ve served share their experiences, highlighting the impact of our grief support programs.
Events
Here’s where we are going to be. We hope to see you there. And if you missed us, you can see where we’ve been
Where's The Zach's Bridge Team?
Thursday, May 8, 2025
The Westin Waltham, 70 Third Avenue, Waltham, MA
The Children’s Room Circle of Hope Breakfast
May 22 - 25
Los Angeles, CA
Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) Child Life Annual Conference
Hosted annually by ACLP, the Child Life Conference is an opportunity for child life professionals to reconnect with peers and make new acquaintances while earning PDUs and discovering the latest updates in the profession.
June 15-17, 2025
Children's National, Washington D.C.
2025 CAC2 Annual Summit
The Coalition Against Childhood Cancer will hold its 2025 Annual Summit, hosted by Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC and presented by Day One Biopharmaceuticals. This annual event reflects the CAC2 values and mission by providing top-notch educational programming, designing multiple opportunities for members to connect and engage, and showcasing the ongoing efforts of our members who are working for a future without childhood cancers.
Where We’ve Been
April 14th
Lincoln, MA
4th Annual Zach Wall Blood Drive at Lovelane
One of the best ways to honor Zach, and help cancer patients. If you aren’t local, please consider donating near you.
Time: 9 am – 3:30 pm
Reserve your spot
April 8, 2025
Rarely Normal Podcast
This week, we joined Lindsey and Katelyn for the Rarely Normal Podcast. Here’s what they said about it
“We had an incredibly touching conversation with Jenn and Jon Wall. The lived experience of child loss and pediatric cancer is something we need to talk about and make sense of. Due to their experience with their son Zach who had osteosarcoma, they’re paying it forward with Zach’s Bridge.”
Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
April 8, 2025
Out of Patients With Matthew Zachary – Be Like Zach: Love, Loss and Legacy
Jonathan and Jennifer Wall didn’t choose this path, but they’re walking it with purpose. After losing their son, Zach, they turned their grief into action, founding Zach’s Bridge, a lifeline for families navigating pediatric cancer. This episode isn’t about platitudes or silver linings—it’s about the raw, unfiltered reality of love and loss, the relentless unfairness of childhood cancer, and how the Walls are refusing to let their son’s memory fade into the void.
Jon and Jenn open up about what Zach taught them, how they’ve reshaped their lives in his honor, and why “Be Like Zach” isn’t just a phrase—it’s a call to action. We talk about the power of community, the frustrating gaps in pediatric cancer care, and how they’re making sure no other family has to walk this road alone. If you’ve ever wondered what real resilience looks like, this is it.
Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
April 6-9th
Atlanta Georgia
Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers (APOSW) Annual Conference
Stop by our booth, and join us at our two sessions:
- Putting the Pieces Together : Navigating Peer Support Complexities, Monday, April 7, 1:45 pm
- Elyse Levin-Russman, LICSW, OSW-C, Mass General for Children, Heather Held, BA, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Anna Lunsford, MSW, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Jennifer Wall, MSW Student and Executive Director, Zach’s Bridge,
- Enhancing Communication Skills in Pediatric Oncology: Practical Application of Motivational Interviewing (MI) for Supporting Parents After Their Child Receives a Terminal Cancer Diagnosis, Tuesday April 8th, 4:15-5:15
- Jennifer Wall, MM, MSW Student, Zach’s Bridge, Inc. Katie Jenkins, LSW, Cancer Hope Network
April 2, 2025
Grief in Brief Podcast: Turning Grief into Action
Zach was 16 when he died of Osteosarcoma. Zach loved life, lived it to its fullest and the diagnosis left the Walls facing “prereavement”. Prereavement encompasses three things;
- Anticipatory grief, these are feelings of grief and loss we may come to experience.
- We change in relation to the loss. How we look at all things will be different now.
- Using our limited time between diagnosis and death in ways that matter.
As a way to honor their son and carry his loss forward with them, the Wall’s developed Zach’s Bridge. Zach’s Bridge helps ease the journey by providing 1:1 peer support for advanced and bereaved pediatric cancer parents and caregivers. This kind of support delivered from those who have walked those tragic steps can give a family comfort and time to focus on what truly matters.
Listen here or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 7:00 pm
Regis College Theater, Weston, MA
Parmenter Foundation: An Evening with Will Reeve
Will Reeve was 12 years old when his father, actor, director and activist Christopher Reeve died. Eighteen months later, his mother, Dana Reeve, an actress and singer, died of lung cancer. Will has navigated life, from high school to college to a successful career in broadcast journalism, while carrying that grief with him.
Join us for a candid discussion about persevering through life while navigating grief.
