Dear Kate:
Just wanted to stay in touch with you regarding the wonderful wish gift baskets that we receive from your Foundation for our Pediatric Cancer Children.

I had three Moms contact me regarding the wish gift baskets per the following:

One Mom called me to tell me that she had been unable to purchase a gift for her son, and that the Wish Basket was a real blessing because she wanted to have a gift for his Birthday. He had been undergoing treatment and the basket was so uplifting for him. It made her cry.

Another Mom told me that her son was so happy that he ran all around Target like it was a candy store and finally settled on a remote car which he absolutely can't stop playing with and then she was finally able to get him to try on a needed sweat shirt which he liked. She too, is very grateful for your help.

The third Mom called to say that her daughter's wish came true for her Birthday with the gift card, as she was able to purchase new clothes for school.

Kate, these are just a few of the Mothers, but I will speak for all of them and say Thank You So Very Much.

Best Regards,

Barbara Kopel
Central Regional Director
Emmanuel Cancer Foundation
1833 Front Street
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida

ATTN:  The Childhood Leukemia Foundation

Re:  A Story that Needs Sharing

After receiving the foundation’s gift, social work presented the curious box to a six year-old male recipient.  Today is the 29th day that the boy and his family have been at the hospital.  When I entered the room this morning, it was clear that our patient was in a great deal of discomfort.  On either side of him were his parents who – try as they might- could not get their eldest to stop crying.

Upon seeing the purple house, however, our patient’s focus shifted.  Over the next ten minutes, I watched as he explored the contents of said package.  His blood pressure dropped, his parents relaxed, and a difference in what can be a cruel and unusual form of treatment was made.  Today was day 3 of chemotherapy and, thanks to you all, a day when this family was reminded that others care.

Thank you for making a difference.

Sincerely,

The Pediatric Social Work Department of Shands Hospital of UF

Lutheran’s Children’s Hospital

February 20, 2007

I want to take a minute to let you know how appreciative our oncology families are of the Hope Binders you generously supply since most parents are probably too exhausted or overwhelmed to thank you themselves. As a social worker, I am often one of the first people to meet the newly diagnosed patients and their families. After hearing their devastating news, many families cling to any information they can put their hands on and find it helpful to have a way to organize all of the clinic notes, lab reports, brochures, medication sheets, phone numbers, etc. they receive. We have passed out numerous Hope Binders and often I hear back from the parents, normally weeks to months later how much it mean to them knowing there were FREE resources available early on in their child’s care. The phone cards are also a big hit and sometimes I see parents sitting in their child’s room filling out their binder as if it was their homework.

Thank you again for all of the services you provide to many of our children and families including Hug-U-Wear and Letters of Hope. Knowing there are agencies like yours makes my job easier and truly has brought joy to the children we serve.

Sincerely,

Michelle Brate, LSW
Pediatric Outpatient Clinic Social Worker

June 1, 2010

Dear Childhood Leukemia Foundation Staff:

This letter is being sent in gratitude to the calling cards made available to our oncology children and families.  To be able to provide a calling card to a mother who is staying at bedside as her little one is undergoing chemotherapy provides her with a  link to the other children/parent back home.  For the patient to hear the voices of his/her siblings give them a sense of feeling supported and loved.  For the teenager who needs to feel connected to his/her peers a calling card can be therapeutic tool to enhance a sense of belonging.  To the parents who are awaiting a surgical tumor debulking outcome, a calling card can be their means of letting others know the important even taking place and rallying support.  To the child who has long awaited his/her discharge home, a calling card can give the child the honor of announcing this special moment to family and friends who can then prepare for their homecoming.  And for the parent whose child has just dies it can give them the connection needed to share this once in a lifetime experience with significant others.

The list of scenarios like these mentioned are endless but they are all possible because of your generosity.  May you continue to make a difference in a child’s life and thank you so very much.

Sincerely,

Dolores Cornejo LCSW
Pediatric hem/Oncology Social Worker
Department of Social Work

Dana Farber Cancer Institute
September 18, 2009

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing in support of the Childhood Leukemia Foundation and their innovative resource for patients and families known as the Hope Binder.  As a medical professional in an outpatient Oncology clinic, I have seen countless families benefit from this resource.  It has helped them keep their child’s medical information organized, provided educational information and support.
In addition, the Childhood Leukemia Foundation has been wonderful to work with.  They continuously check in with my organization, provide the binders seamlessly at no cost to us.  Any expansion of this program or others by the foundation would be a great benefit to those that may receive them.

Sincerely,
Martha Young, MS, CCLS
Patient and Family Education Specialist
Blum Pediatric Resource Room
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Jimmy Fund Clinic

Dear Childhood Leukemia Foundation:

This letter is to acknowledge the donation made to the Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital of one Nintendo Wii system by the Childhood Leukemia Foundation . As you can imagine. the Wii systems are very popular and serve a recreational as well as a therapeutic role during the care and recovery of our young patients. It is amazing the way that the real world disappears when kids become ennited in the virtual world. Although the escape is temporary, it serves to allow children and their families some time of diminished worries and stress and some time to regroup in order to move forward.

We appreciate the kindness and generosity of the Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Nintendo as they partner to make this all possible

Thank you very much.

Randy McKeeman, M.S.Ed.. CCLS Child Life Program Supervisor

Dear CLF:

For our Cookies 4 Kids cookie sale we have raised around $940.  We have spent many hours asking stores for donations, making posters, informing our local community, and selling the cookies.  The $940 has been donated to children with leukemia.  The total number of hours we have worked on this community service project is 26 hours.

Briana and Alyssa

Dear CLF,

I am writing to you on behalf of my 12 year old daughter Nicole who has put together her team of volunteers for Cookies 4 Kids.  Nicole and her group had their first bake sale on Jan 25, last Thursday.  They held it at their school, Keyport Central, during the school basketball games.  They raised $134.00 and sold out all of their items.  Nicole and her team purchased all their ingredients to make their items themselves.  They all chipped in their allowance money and bought the items.  Then they asked permission from the Captain and their local First Aid Squad if they could use their kitchen since they had 2 ovens and the big industrial cookie sheets.  They baked everything the night before making packets of all different kinds of cookies, brownies and even mini loaves of banana bread which was a big hit. They had a periodic  meeting at Nicole’s home organizing the event and made flyers that they put up in the school and making posters for the day of the event which had difference slogans and also information about the Cookies 4 Kids program explaining what it was all about and listing the website to get more information.  They plan to hold a bake sale every month if possible, they are checking out other local events where they can put a table also they are checking with their church.  They already have an event day April 14th which is a Saturday.  It is Keyport Pride Day which they already have a booth held for them.   They will be designing their own T-shirts for the day and spreading the word about helping children with this horrible disease.  Their reward is that they are able to help.  Sometime in June the children would like to set up a day that someone from the foundation can come down so that they can present them with a check for everything that they have raised.  I have a friend who works for the Asbury Park Press who will come down too.  The list of Nicole’s Team is:

• Nicole
• Kathy
• Michael
• Carly
• Darlene
• DJ

Everyone is proud of these young people; many of them want to join the Keyport First Aid Cadets next year since they love helping people.  I know for one, my daughter Nicole’s goal is to be a pediatric doctor when she goes to college.

Thank you,
Mrs. Michele

Dear Kim,

Thank you so much for choosing to donate the Wii to the Kids Cancer Foundation. Thanks to the thoughtfulness and generosity of the Childhood Leukemia Foundation, the children in the outpatient area now have a wii to help brighten their day and help make their visits to the hospital a little more entertaining and enjoyable. As you can see by the pictures, the children all love the new Wii and have even set up on-going Wii tournaments that they participate in during their outpatient visits.

The Kids Cancer Foundation is honored to have been chosen to receive this thoughtful gift that has brought hours of entertainment and laughter (which is something we truly value) to these brave children who are battling cancer. There are simply not enough words to thank you for this gift that means so much to these children and their families.

Yours truly,
Michelle

Dear Ms. Reid,

My name is Morgan.  I am an eighth grade student at St. Joseph’s Grade School and I chose Cookies 4 Kids as my Christian project.  I liked the idea of doing something that would directly help the kids.  My mom dated the supplies and helped me do the baking.  I cam up with the idea of making baskets of cookies for the holidays.  Through family, friends and my parent’s co-workers, I have earned $300.00 so far.  I am still getting orders and will keep baking through the holidays.  This has been a rewarding experience and has given my mom and me lots of quality time together.  I have enclosed all of the money earned so far and will send the rest when I am done baking.  Would it be possible for you to send me a letter acknowledging my help in supporting the Cookies 4 Kids program?

Yours truly,

Morgan