Resources for Children Who Have Cancer or Other Serious Illnesses

Angel on My Shoulder

1611 Pine Tree Lane
St. Germain, WI 54558
Telephone: (800) 860-3431
Home page: www.angelonmyshoulder.org

Angel on My Shoulder sponsors Camp Angel for children ages 8 through 12 and Camp Teen Angel for children ages 13 through 15. These are cost-free weekend retreats for young people who have a brother, sister, parent, or grandparent who is experiencing cancer or for children who have experienced the death of a loved one from cancer. Winter and summer outdoor recreational activities are offered.

Brave Kids

West coast:
1223 Wilshire Blvd., #1411
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Telephone: (800) 568-1008
Fax: (310) 395-5402

East coast:
1208 Lake Cove Court
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Telephone: (904) 827-9571
Fax : (904) 827-9572
Home page: www.bravekids.org

You’ll find thousands of resources for children with special needs, plus local resources in these areas: San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange Counties, DC/Baltimore, Seattle, Memphis and Pensacola. More Florida cities to come!

The Medical Information page points you to pediatric information from medical websites, books, videos and disease specific resource directory listings. Or check out the Calendar of Events for workshops, seminars, and events in your area.

Camp Simcha

151 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: (877) CHAI LIFE (877-242-4543)
Fax: (212) 465-0949
Home page: www.chailifeline.org

A pioneer in kosher summer camping for children with cancer and other medically catastrophic illnesses, Camp Simcha—established by Chai Lifeline in 1987—runs multiple two-week sessions for youngsters from throughout North America, Europe and Israel who have encountered serious illnesses.
CancerSourceKids.com

CancerSource.com 40 Tall Pine Drive

Sudbury, MA 01776
Home page: www.cancersourcekids.com

The mission of CancerSourceKids.com is to be a secure site where children can learn about cancer in a fun and interactive manner. The site will provide children with an opportunity to read cancer information, play interactive games, and learn coping strategies. The site is customized for children and teenagers who have cancer and children and teenagers whose sibling has cancer. The site is customized for age to allow for differences in the type of information, reading level, and the kinds of games that appeal to both groups.

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation (CCCF)

P.O. Box 498
Kensington, MD 20895-0498
Telephone: (800) 366-CCCF (800-366-2223) or (301) 962-3520
Fax: (301) 962-3521
Home page: www.candlelighters.org

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation (CCCF) National Office is a national non-profit membership organization whose mission is to educate, support, serve, and advocate for families of children with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer, and the professionals who care for them.

Chai Lifeline

151 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: (877) CHAI LIFE (877-242-4543) or (212) 465-1300
Fax: (212) 465-0949
Home page: www.chailifeline.org

When serious illness strikes a child, the entire family is affected. Chai Lifeline’s extensive network of free programs and services is designed to help every member of the family cope during this time of crisis.

Childhood Leukemia Center

O’Reilly & Associates
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Telephone: (800) 998-9938
Fax: (707) 829-0104
Home page: www.patientcenters.com/leukemia

Sponsored by the publisher of several practical guides to cancer, including one on childhood leukemia, this site offers many resources for families, including information on blood counts, the personal stories of parents and siblings, and tips on coping with hospitalization.

Childhood Leukemia Foundation

1608 Route 88 West, Suite 203
Brick, NJ 08724
Telephone: (888) CLF-7109 (888-253-7109)
Fax: (732) 840-5818
Home page: www.clf4kids.com

The Childhood Leukemia Foundation (CLF) is a national non-profit organization which offers a wide range of free services. CLF’s program services have been designed to provide emotional, financial, social, educational, and recovery support to children and families touched by cancer. All of CLF’s programs and activities have been designed to educate, entertain, lift the child’s spirits and enhance the quality of their challenging lives. CLF serves as a resource center and works in partnership with over 130 specialized cancer treatment centers nationwide.

Children’s Angel Flight

1280 Laskin Road, St. 401
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Telephone: (800) 296-1217
Home page: www.childtransport.org

The mission and purpose of Children’s Angel Flight (CAF) is to ensure that no needy child patient is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment for lack of a means of long-distance medical air transportation. They provide no-cost or reduced-cost patient travel services for needy child patients and their families.

Children’s Hopes & Dreams Foundation

280 Route 46
Dover, NJ 07801
Telephone: (973) 361-7366
Fax: (908) 459-9399
Home page: www.childrenswishes.org

The Children’s Hopes & Dreams Foundation has been serving children with serious illnesses since 1983. They are one of the oldest wish fulfillment organizations in the world. Their programs serve over 14,000 seriously ill children each year. The Foundation cooperates with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, serious illness camps, Ronald McDonald Houses, children’s hospitals nationwide, Leukemia Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and many more.

Children’s Hospice International

901 North Pitt Street, Suite 230
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: (800) 2-4-CHILD (800-242-4453) or (703) 684-0330
Home page: http://www.chionline.org

Children’s Hospice International serves as an advocate in meeting the needs of children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Its programs include support systems and a referral network for children with life-threatening conditions and their families, as well as for those who have encountered the sudden loss of a child through accident or violence; support of health care providers and organizations that engage in the treatment of children with life-threatening conditions and their families; and a clearinghouse of information on research, programs, support groups, and education and training programs.

Children’s Oncology Camping Association International

Home page: www.coca-intl.org

Children’s Oncology Camping Association (COCA) is an internationally assembly of people providing camping programs for children with cancer. Many of their member camps serve a broad range of special needs populations, but they all share the common thread of working with pediatric oncology patients.

Children’s Wish Foundation International, Inc.

8615 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30350-7526
Telephone: (800) 323-WISH (800-323-9474) or (770) 393-WISH (770-393-9474)
Fax: (770) 393-0683
Home page: www.childrenswish.org

Children’s Wish Foundation International is dedicated to bringing joy and hope to seriously ill children and their families world wide by involving the public in putting children first with opportunities to experience the enhanced value and quality of life through the magic of a fulfilled wish.

CureSearch

440 E. Huntington Drive
P.O. Box 60012 Arcadia, CA 91066-6012
Telephone: (800) 458-6223
Home page: www.curesearch.org

CureSearch, formerly the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, supports research conducted by a network of institutions, each of which has a team of doctors, scientists, and other specialists with the special skills required for the diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care of infants, children, and young adults who have cancer. The foundation also promotes education and advocacy to raise awareness about and meet the needs of children who have cancer.

The Dream Factory, Inc.

1218 South Third Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Telephone: (800) 456-7556 or (502) 637-8700
Fax: (502) 637-8744
Home page: www.dreamfactoryinc.com

The Dream Factory grants dreams to children who are between the ages of 3 and 18 and have a critical or chronic illness. There are more than 35 chapters in the U.S.

Dream Street Foundation

9536 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 310
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Telephone: (800) 55-DREAM (800-553-7326) or (310) 274-7227
Fax: (310) 274-9229
Home page: www.dreamstreetfoundation.org

Dream Street provides camping programs for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, including cancer. Camps are located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, and New Jersey. All projects are run by a volunteer staff with experience in working with sick children. Camping sessions are free of charge.

Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

565 Ashford Center Road
Ashford, CT 06278
Telephone: (860) 429-3444
Fax: (860) 429-7295
Home page: www.holeinthewallgang.org

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded by Paul Newman in 1988, is a nonprofit residential summer camp, an ingeniously designed and dazzlingly equipped Wild West hideout in northeastern Connecticut, where children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses do not have to sit on the sidelines. More than 1,000 children between the ages of 7 and 15 from across the country and abroad attend each year, free of charge.

Kids Konnected

27071 Cabot Road, Suite 102
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Hot line: (800) 899-2866 (outside California) or (949) 582-5443 (in California)
Home page: www.kidskonnected.org

Kids Konnected provides friendship, understanding, education, and support to kids who have a parent with cancer. A telephone hot line, monthly newsletters, camps, workshops, and social events are some of the many services.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® grants the wishes of children who have life-threatening illnesses. Wishes are made known through wish referrals from the child, his or her parents or guardians, or medical professionals in the child’s life. For more information on eligibility requirements, call the organization’s toll-free number or visit its Web site. Local and international chapters of Make-A-Wish can be located via the Web site.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of America

3550 North Central Avenue, Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85012-2127
Telephone: (800) 722-WISH (800-722-9474) or (602) 279-WISH (602-279-9474)
Fax: (602) 279-0855
Home page: www.wish.org

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation’s mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors, and entire communities.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Telephone: (212) 639-2000 or (800) 525-2225 (adult care appointments) or (212) 639-5954 (pediatric care appointments)
Home page: www.mskcc.org

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Web site provides information about the treatment of pediatric cancer, including pediatric clinical trials. A section for kids only and one for teens only address the concerns and fears of children and teens diagnosed with cancer. The children’s section provides age-appropriate answers to questions kids have about cancer and its treatment. The teen section provides straight-out answers about what it’s like to have cancer as a teenager; it also gives teens a place to share some of their hopes, thoughts, and fears.

National Children’s Cancer Society

1015 Locust, Suite 600
St. Louis, MO 63101
Telephone: (800) 5FAMILY (800-532-6459)
Home page: www.children-cancer.com

The National Children’s Cancer Society is a non-profit tax exempt organization whose mission is to provide direct financial support to children with cancer and their families, for expenses related to cancer treatment. We assist children from birth to age 18 and their families throughout the United States. The Society works with more than 200 pediatric oncology hospitals and cancer centers to identify and help children and families in need. They help any family able to demonstrate financial need regardless of socio-economic status prior to diagnosis.

National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities

P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013
Telephone: (800) 695-0285
Fax: (202) 884-8441
Home page: www.nichcy.org

The National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities (NICHCY) is an information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and the rights of disabled children. Many publications and other resources are available on the Web site.

PatchWorx, Inc.

333 Ravenswood Avenue, BN285
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: (650) 859-3382
Home page: www.patchworx.org

PatchWorx provides a safe, secure, moderated, online community for children who are seriously ill or disabled, with games, puzzles, and more. Make friends with common interests and interact with “Patches,” the Patchworx mascot.

Ronald McDonald House Charities

One Kroc Drive
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Home page: www.rmhc.com

Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses are asked to make a donation ranging from $5 to $20 per day; if that is not possible, their stay is free.

The Silver Lining Foundation

1490 Ute Avenue
Aspen, CO 81611
Telephone: (970) 925-9540
Home page: www.silverliningfoundation.org

The Silver Lining Foundation brings children who have cancer and other life-threatening illnesses to a safe haven in Aspen, Colorado, for an all-expenses-paid week of white-water rafting, horseback riding, gondola rides up Aspen mountain, skiing, and socializing with other children. This quality recreational experience helps the children acquire the physical and emotional capacity to endure the challenges of their present and their future; at the same time, it provides parents and other caregivers with a 7-day respite from caring for a sick child, giving them the time to focus on themselves and their other children.

STARBRIGHT Foundation

11835 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Telephone: (800) 315-2580 or (310) 479-1212
Home page: www.starbright.org

The STARBRIGHT Foundation creates projects that are designed to help seriously ill children and adolescents cope with the psychosocial and medical challenges they face. The STARBRIGHT Foundation produces interactive educational CD-ROMs and videos that feature information about medical conditions and procedures, advice on talking with a health professional, and other issues related to children and adolescents who have serious medical conditions. All materials are available free of charge to seriously ill children and adolescents and their families. Staff can respond to calls in Spanish.

The Starlight Children’s Foundation

5900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2530
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Telephone: (323) 634-0080
Home page: www.starlight.org

Starlight has chapters in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It fulfills wishes for seriously ill children ages 4 to 18 and also has other programs designed to lift the spirits of hospitalized or ill children.

The Sunshine Foundation

1041 Mill Creek Drive
Feasterville, PA 19053
Telephone: (215) 396-4770
Fax: (215) 396-4774
Home page: www.sunshinefoundation.org

The Sunshine Foundation grants dreams for seriously ill, challenged, and abused children around the United States and throughout the world. Among the services it provides for these children are chartered group trips to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. The foundation also houses seven special children and their families each week at Sunshine Village in central Florida, where they stay in fairy-tale cottages and can enjoy a wheelchair-accessible swimming pool, a handicapped-equipped playground, a specially designed citrus grove, and a six-hole miniature golf course.

Wigs for Kids

Executive Club Building
21330 Center Ridge Road, Suite C
Rocky River, OH 44116
Telephone: (440) 333-4433
Fax: (440) 333-0200
Home page: http://www.wigsforkids.org
Wigs for Kids is a not-for-profit organization providing hair replacement solutions for children affected by hair loss due to chemotherapy, alopecia, burns and other medical conditions.