Attend this retreat OR host your own retreat on our organic farm.
How to Thrive, Renew & Recharge After a Brain Tumor
3 days/3 Nights this September in Vermont
September 15-18th, 2024
All inclusive price is 1800/person
Includes the full retreat, food & lodging for the 3 nights/3 days.
(Does not include transportation to and from the retreat)
Brain tumor survivors often face a myriad of unique challenges that require tailored support and understanding.
Can you relate to any of this?
You feel more vulnerable.
Do you think twice about getting up on a horse, going skiing, or other activities that you used to enjoy for fear of falling and hitting your head?
There are side effects—even years afterwards.
Are you still exhausted? Do you have to take pharmaceuticals in order to get through the day? Do you have other health issues now as a result of this experience?
It’s hard to reconcile or understand why this happened to you—and maybe even harder for your family to truly relate.
Maybe you lived a really healthy life before the diagnosis, and you’re left wondering why this happened?
Maybe you’re also feeling like anything could happen going forward without notice no matter how healthy your lifestyle…like you have no control over your body.
You Tend to Feel More Alone…
As much as family and friends try, it’s hard for them to truly relate to what you’ve been through and may still be going through.
From physical symptoms to emotional struggles, your journey can be one of resilience, strength, and an unwavering spirit.
This is personal for me…
In 2015, a few weeks after college graduation, my beloved daughter, Diana, was rushed to the hospital one night with brain swelling.
After a CT scan we discovered the unthinkable…she had a brain tumor. I say unthinkable because I was uber healthy during my pregnancy with her, nursed her until she was done, fed her organic food, kept a nontoxic household, and gave her holistic remedies, like herbs and homeopathy, when needed, which wasn’t often. She was rarely ever sick growing up. Much less than her classmates. And yet…somehow, she developed a brain tumor.
My dad did have a benign tumor at one point, as did my first cousin on my mom’s side. So, I guess you could say that benign brain tumors showed up in both sides of my family.
Diana spent 3 weeks total in 2 different hospitals, had a failed biopsy (I say “failed” because the surgeon took the wrong piece of brain tissue, argh!), underwent major brain surgery, had a shunt put in because the swelling wasn’t going down enough—and then did 6 weeks of proton radiation. It was an experience for sure!
Nine years later she still suffers with exhaustion, and they can’t really explain why. She had never had a problem with weight, but within a few months she’d gained about 50 pounds and has had a heck of a time trying to release that weight. Her hormones don’t seem to be balanced and she has some of the symptoms of a menopausal woman. Western medicine doesn’t seem to have any answers beyond pharmaceuticals. I’ve been searching for answers to help her improve the quality of her life and move forward from this experience. And, I know that she’s not alone.
In fact, back when Diana was going through her brain tumor journey, I was contacted by a lovely soul named Angela, who was also going through her own brain tumor journey. She was interested in attending my retreat that summer. She thought it would really help her step into the next chapter of her life after the brain tumor in a more positive and healthy way. It didn’t work out then, but we reconnected last summer when she came to Vermont for a visit. It was through our conversation that I was inspired to offer this retreat specifically for brain tumor survivors.
This retreat is designed specifically to support you and help you move forward into thriving, not just surviving.
Connect and share stories with fellow brain tumor survivors.
Learn about alternative health options and tools, including food, that could help you return to a better quality of “new normal.”
Participate in a very unique, empowering and healing experience with horses (working from the ground with an experienced horse professional and gentle horses.)
Immerse yourself in a transformative experience on a beautiful organic farm in Vermont that nourishes your mind, body and soul.
Get your hands in the soil, learn a bit about healthy food growing, and taste the difference in food right off the vine.
Join us in the popular, beautiful and peaceful travel destination of Waitsfield, Vermont, for an intimate retreat limited to only 8 people, or a few more
Our retreat offers a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded souls, immerse yourself in nature, and participate in life-changing experiences.
Our 40-acre working organic vegetable and fruit farm is the perfect setting for your retreat, where you'll indulge in healthy, organic farm-fresh meals prepared by a private chef, learn about organic food and medicinal herbs, and take part in life coaching experiences with horses, energy clearing, vision boards, swimming in the river, bonfires, and more.
Our previous guests have described their experience as life-changing, and we believe that you will feel the same.
Take a break from your daily routine, relax, learn, share, receive, recharge and find newfound clarity on your path towards creating a healthier happier you.
Book your spot today and prepare yourself for an unforgettable experience!
All-Inclusive Personal Growth, Wellness & Healing
Retreat for only 8 people
September 15-18th, 2024
3 nights/3 days
Sunday at 4 pm to Wednesday at 1 pm
The retreat is based at Hartshorn Organic Farm pictured below.
We can offer a camping option if that is desired for a discounted price.)
This video will give you a good sense of what the retreat is like.
This was from my first retreat 9 years ago. It was the pilot program.
It’s now co-ed, and 3 days long.
The best way to know more is to have a chat with us.
What can I expect from this retreat?
"Aha" moments of realization and awareness
Refresh of your mind, body and soul
Unique coaching with horses' session for emotional healing and self-awareness
Time spent with the plants and learning about healthy growing methods
Map out your best life, goal setting, create a tangible plan
Guided meditations and group activities
Delicious, healthy organic meals prepared by a private chef and food from our farm
Personal one-on-one Coaching after you return home to keep the momentum going
Community and connection activities including a bonfire
Silent practices in nature that that bring inner peace and a feeling of being grounded
Surrounded by the beautiful green mountains, our working organic farm is just the kind of place that allows you to connect more deeply with nature and yourself
An experience with medicinal herb & herbal limpias
Free time to allow you to enjoy and process what you’re learning (*Get a healing massage)
Swim in the river
*Massages are an extra fee
“I have been a therapist for 26 years, and this past summer I knew I needed to walk my talk! It is the perfect retreat in so many ways. Starting with the setting of the beautiful mountains of VT, to the wonderful food, we spent time meditating, taking hikes, swimming in the river, doing yoga, focusing on learning more about myself ... I have to include the amazing Equine therapy program ... In two hours, I walked away with what would take a year in therapy. It (the retreat) is truly a valuable experience I recommend to everyone!”
— Andrea Chiappa
Life Coaching with Horses for Healing
& Self Awareness
Very unique and extraordinary private 1:1 and group activities with horses designed to promote self-awareness, healing, and personal growth.
Horses are great teachers. Due to their innate nature of reading their environment by observing body language, moods, and blood pressure changes, they can reflect one’s true intentions. You cannot lie to a horse. They help humans learn a greater sense of emotional intelligence by reflecting back behaviors in us that we may be unaware of. A horse allows the energy that the human is offering to be present, and then gracefully enables that energy to flow once the human has reached a non-resistant state.
Lodging right next door (you can walk to us) at one of
the most popular Inns in the Mad River Valley
From their website, “All of our rooms feature: Luxurious spa linens from Comphy™, new energy efficient heat pumps with individually controlled heat and air conditioning, Artisan Bee Kind™ bath amenities from Gilchrist & Soames™, hair dryers, Roku smart TV, so you can stream all of your favorite shows and movies using your own login, a cooked to order breakfast each morning from our signature breakfast menu, a selection of local beers, fine wines and craft spirits for purchase, and the fastest wireless internet in the Valley (Complimentary).”
Fresh Organic Food from the Farm Prepared by a Private Chef
Organic Gardening, Green Living
and Hydroponic Learning
Medicinal Herbs-Make Something To Take Home
Mindfulness and Meditation
Energy Clearing with Plants
Community and Connection
One Hour 1-on-1 Coaching When You Return Home
Private FB Group for Ongoing Support
Vision Boards
Your Guides
Amy Todisco and her life partner & organic farmer, Dave Hartshorn
Amy & her daughter, Diana
Why am I doing a retreat for brain tumor survivors?
My beloved daughter had a life-threatening benign brain tumor experience in 2015, shortly after graduating from college.
It nearly killed her.
Thankfully she was at a friend’s house when she started to get brain Encephalopathy.
Her friend alerted me to what was happening, and she got to the hospital in the nick of time.
After a CT scan, we discovered that she had a tumor.
The ER doc said that in order to relieve the pressure, he needed to drill a hole into her skull and put in a drainage tube.
Holy crap! After discussing this with my partner, Dave, and calling my mom in the middle of the night, (my daughter’s dad wasn’t reachable that night), we decided that it was the best course of action.
That was a pretty sobering experience, particularly for a young woman that hadn’t really had any health problems—she barely even got sick as a kid.
I raised her in a non-toxic home with certified organic food and holistic lifestyle choices, like homeopathy and herbs—and yet, none of that mattered as far as the brain tumor was concerned.
Twenty-two days spent in 2 different hospitals in 2 different states, a failed biopsy (the surgeon took the wrong piece of brain tissue—not the tumor!!), major brain surgery, a shunt installed, and 6 weeks of proton radiation, and she was finally done with treatments.
Well, for the most part.
There have been some lasting side effects…significant weight gain when weight had never been an issue for her.
Debilitating exhaustion that still hasn’t gone away after 9 years.
Severe sleep apnea? Not sure if this is a direct result of the brain tumor experience or something else.
Depression and the feeling of vulnerability.
And more…
So, I’ve been looking for answers.
As much as I’d love to know what caused the tumor, I’ve been more focused on how to deal with the aftermath.
Western medicine doesn’t have answers.
I’ve been looking for alternative doctors, like Functional Medicine and Quantum doctors to help with solutions.
My hope is to gather some information—and even have one of these experts as a speaker by the time of this retreat.
At the very least, all of the activities in this retreat, which have been life changing for the participants over the years, are designed with the goal of healing your body mind and spirit and forging a new path—in this case, a new normal.
It’s also to create a safe space to explore ideas and share about your brain tumor experiences.
And, to create a community of people seeking answers as to how to live and thrive post brain tumor.
“I don’t want to be dramatic, but I’ll say that the retreat was life-changing. Amy is inspiring. She knows a lot about a lot…She did a great job leading the program.”
— Rebecca B.
What some of Amy’s Clients are
saying about her coaching and retreats
Price to be announced soon…
Massage will be available for an extra fee.