Who We Are

Our Mission

To provide families with a child battling cancer a faith based retreat to experience hope in faith, connect with other families facing pediatric cancer and enjoy time with their immediate family outside of a hospital setting.

Meet Joshua, our why

Throughout Joshua’s journey, the Fisher family was blessed with a robust church community and the opportunity to attend a variety of camps and retreats. Since a local retreat was not available for our entire family, we traveled long distances, including a trip to New England, to be able to have an entire family camp/retreat opportunity.  The time at the retreat was so valuable to our entire family, including Joshua’s brothers, Justin and Charlie. It gave the whole family the opportunity to be together and, for a short time, forget about the worries of treatments, hospitals, separation from each other and financial difficulties that burden many pediatric cancer families. The retreat also gave them time as a couple and with other parents to forget about the stresses and division that cancer treatment brings.  During this time and ongoing, the Fisher’s found that faith and fellowship are so very important. This experience lifted them up, allowing them to truly appreciate each day with Joshua and their family as a gift. 

Thus, the Fisher’s created BayStar Family Retreat to provide this unique experience here in Tampa Bay for families going through a similar fight with their child.  The vision and hope of BayStar Family Retreat is that we can provide a faith-based retreat where families can spend time together making memories without worry of costs while building a life-long support community.  For many families, this may be their last vacation they experience as a family. We want to “Be the Light During the Fight” for all pediatric cancer patients and their families in the Tampa Bay area.

 

 

They were more than just the light in our "aftermath" fight... they were a breath of fresh air. They gave our family "time"... time that we can never seem to find just to be with our family. Although it was for a moment, in my world, a moment means the world to a family that had to fight cancer for 3.5 years. Thank you Jessica and our retreat family for time.

Luby Myrthil