FAMILY ASSISTANCE:

Over just the last 6 years (since 2004) we have been able to assist families struggling with household bills with payments totaling over $715,000.  

Kids with Cancer Foundation have been providing financial assistance directly to families who have been affected by childhood cancer since we became a Public Benevolent Institution.  As the name implies we are only able to assist the youngest of sufferers of childhood cancer.  These are the children who would normally be admitted to the children's (paediatric) ward, usually children under the age of 16.

We are pleased to be able to offer family assistance through social workers in nine children's hospitals: Sydney Children's, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, John Hunter Newcastle, Royal Brisbane, Monash in Victoria, Mater Brisbane, Canberra, Women's & Children's Adelaide and Princess Margaret Perth. 

Our funds are accessed via a request from the social workers who have direct contact with the family concerned.  We have granted requests for such things as:

• Funeral expenses.

• Motor vehicle expenses, repairs, tyres, registration and insurances.

• Accommodation and mortgage payments.

• We have purchased six motor vehicles for families living in remote areas.

• Flights for family members to be at a child's side.

• Refrigerators, Washing Machines, TV's, Air Conditioners.

• Rates, phone bills and electricity bills.

• Child care fees.

Letter of thanks from the parents of a young boy:

To everyone at the Kids with Cancer Foundation,

Thank you for your support during this difficult time.  Thank you for the generous donation that paid for ........ funeral.  It was a great help and made life just that little bit easier.

We are hoping one day we can repay the favour. (Name withheld)

For most of their treatment, children all over Australia, suffering with childhood cancer, need to travel, and stay in the major city hospitals.  The treatment they receive can mean a stay of many months away from home.  Family members need to be with them throughout their treatment, this  can be a drain on finances.  Sometimes one parent or both will give up their employment to spend time at their child’s bedside.  Through the social workers in the hospitals we have paid for everything, from, a siblings cricket registration fees, to the purchase of  four motor vehicles, enabling families to travel in comfort and safety, between their rural home and the city hospital.

A letter of thanks, from Mackay in Queensland:

“ I am writing to thank you and your organisation so much for the enormous financial support you provided during our sons battle with cancer.  He is now recovering well and we will always remember with deep gratitude the huge relief your funding provided, emotionally as well as financial.

Thank you again.” (Name withheld)

The Kids with Cancer Foundation has to date,  donated motor vehicles to six families. Most of these families live outside the major cities and need safe, reliable transport to attend the children’s hospitals in those cities.  If mum and dad both need to be with their child usually the rest of the family go along as well. Families with older vehicles are stranded in rural areas when their cars break down.  Even families in the ACT have a four hour drive to attend either Westmead or Randwick with a sick child on board and usually the rest of the young family, come as well.   

A letter of thanks, from a mother:

I would like to apologise for this letter being so late. My daughter past away January 06 and I have not until now been able to write this letter. Your wonderful organization helped me pay for part of her funeral, without your help I would have struggled to pay for it on my own. My remaining daughter ----- & I are still trying to come to terms with the loss of our beautiful girl, she was extremely brave and never complained once. I guess we will never understand why it happened and trying to fit a whole lifetime into 8 weeks was extremely hard for us all. her wish was to see the great barrier reef and swim with dolphins, ------- & I took something of hers to the reef and let it go so I guess she saw it in spirit. I would like to someday repay Kids with Cancer Foundation and I am thinking of doing some fundraising later this year.

Thank you once again.

Kind regards
Name withheld

A donation (tax deductible) of $5,000.00 to Kids with Cancer Foundation can pay the total cost of a child's funeral and we can guarantee passing on the whole amount to a worthy family.

Dear Linda and the entire Kids with Cancer Foundation Team,

Our 2 year old little boy, J--- was diagnosed with Leukaemia in July 09. Since then, things have been difficult emotionally and financially, as I am sure you can imagine.  J---- is now doing really well with his treatment, but it will continue until October, 2012, therefore I am at home caring for him at least until then. Although I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, this means things, at times become difficult financially. Recently your foundation helped us with payment of our car registration, something, given our current situation, we could not be without.

It, was back in June this year, we received a cheque from the foundation and even now, as I type this, I have tears in my eyes. We cannot believe that there are people out there so caring and giving. We just had to ask and help was immediately there for us. You will never know the pressure that payment took off our family and I have no words to really express the appreciation we have for your help.

Each time I am approached about J----'s health, I make sure to add with the update, information about the foundation and how it has helped us. I will continue to get the word out there, and hopefully donations and support for this amazing foundation continue.

Once again, thank you so very much for your help and support. You really are “Making a Difference”. Name withheld August, 2010

We don't expect it, but we would like to thank these families and lots more who have personally taken the time to responded to us during such difficult times.

Not all people we contact are our friends, you can't please all the people all the time, or any time no matter what you do.

How you as a family member can access our available funds:

Each child/family, being treated in one of Australia's children's hospitals, is allocated a social worker.  The social workers know of the assistance we, and other children's charities can provide.  Speak with your social worker and discuss your problems.  If you have a genuine need, ask them if they have made a request to, Kids with Cancer Foundation on your behalf.

After donating $1.157m to construct and fit-out the 'Children's Cancer Centre' at Monash Children's in Monash Hospital in Clayton we feel Victorian families of kids with cancer are not made aware of the family assistance that we also provide.  We are here to help wherever we can and we hope one day the social workers at Royal Melbourne Children's Hospital will also be allowed by hospital management to access our family funding. email support@kidswithcancer.org.au