Each year, a committed group of donors review and vote on new program concepts through the Initiators campaign – helping ensure Wellspring continues to respond to emerging needs within the cancer community.
To date, Initiators have helped bring more than seven evidence-based programs to life, including Cancer Transition Coaching, Cancer Related Fatigue, The Community Forum, and most recently, Fear of Recurrence.
On November 24, 2025, Initiators selected ADAPT, a new group-based program focused on grief and loss related to cancer, as the next program for develop and pilot.
While grief is often associated with the death of a loved one, individuals living with cancer frequently experience grief in many other forms, including loss of health, bodily changes, uncertainty about the future, fertility loss, altered identity, and financial strain due to time away from work (Canadian Cancer Society, 2025).
ADAPT—which stands for Accepting/Acknowledging, Dealing with emotions, Awareness of challenges, Personal responses, and Treating self with kindness—is a six-session, professionally led program created by Wellspring program leader Joelle McKieran (MSW, RSW, CCC) that will be customized for people with cancer. The program supports participants in exploring the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social dimensions of grief, while building coping skills, resilience, and a renewed sense of meaning.
Wellspring recently introduced the ADAPT model through a series of Be Well Talks, which were met with strong engagement and positive feedback from members. Building on this success, the full ADAPT program for people with cancer will offer a structured and compassionate space for individuals to process grief and loss throughout the cancer journey.
Further details will be shared as the program becomes available later this year.