Childhood Leukemia Foundation

Keeping kids connected ipads:the keeping kids connected ipad program allows young cancer patients to remain connected to their family, friends and schoolwork while actively receiving cancer treatment. Facetime, email and texts provide emotional and psychological support to hospitalized patients. Ipads also offer age appropriate distractions to help children cope with the anxiety and boredom associated with cancer treatment and hospital confinement. Playing a game, or engaging in artistic or musical activity, can relax a child a reduce the perceived trauma. Overall, the ipad is a welcomed tool for these patients to stay connected to their lives while in the hospital.

Educational wish baskets:children diagnosed with cancer must endure long hours of boredom awaiting treatment, grueling chemotherapy sessions and spinal taps. Educational wish baskets lift the spirits of these young cancer patients during a very difficult time in their lives. The baskets include age appropriate s.t.e.a.m. Inspired (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) items to engage, challenge and educate hospitalized pediatric cancer patients. The educational wish basket program brings education, laughter, and fun into the daily lives of many children undergoing cancer care. To date, Childhood Leukemia Foundation has distributed over 8,000 wish baskets to very deserving children throughout the u.s.

Hospital visits, special requests and other programsin addition to Childhood Leukemia foundations four core programs, there are additional needs associated with a childs cancer battle. For all of the miracles that modern day medicine can perform, the healing needs of the heart, mind and spirit remain central to the fight against cancer. A positive mindset and the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis are very real issues facing young cancer patients. Childhood Leukemia Foundation strives, whenever possible, to help fill in the gaps to lift their spirits. Hospital visits are arranged to introduce supporters to the children we serve, while providing young cancer patients with an ipad or educational wish basket during the visit. We work with hospital healthcare professionals to identify and fulfill every day needs in their patient populations. We provide hospital holiday parties, pizza parties, end of treatment celebrations, in hospital birthday parties, special food gift card requests and deliveries, financial assistance for gas, tolls and small car repairs (for travel to and from treatment), video game carts for hospital play rooms, special hospital go carts for learning, funeral expenses, gift cards for necessities after catastrophic events, ice cream truck social events, arts & crafts activities etc. To young cancer patients during a very difficult time in their lives.