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For the parents of five-year-old Alexandra Ellis, her courage,
hope, and joy even while battling a terminal illness were an inspiration.
When Ellis died in 1995, after over two years of cancer, her parents
established the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) as a
way to sustain her memory and carry her courage to other children
in need.
CCA’s vision is to provide families of children with cancer
the resources they need and the peace of mind they deserve. In
1997, the charity opened, in conjunction with Legacy Emmanuel Children’s
Hospital in Portland, Oregon, the Alexandra Ellis Resource Center.
The center is designed as a library of information for studying
pediatric illnesses, injuries, burns, and diseases. It also developed
the first national online database of information and resources
on children’s cancer, including financial resources, survivor
support, youth connection, and wish fulfillment organizations.
The charity operates the DreamCatcher Wish Program, designed
to “catch” wishes that may go unfulfilled by other
organizations, such as those for children that aren’t terminally
ill or need a second wish after a devastating relapse. The Caring
Cabin is designed to be a rural lakeside respite from the sterile
and stressful hospital environment. Another program, the pediatric
ChemoPal, is a volunteer that provides stability, friendship, and
fun in the midst of chemotherapy or other cancer treatment.
Expert
professionals on the staff of CCA often give presentations to community
and scientific audiences, including their experiences with family
support, palliative care, and music as therapy programs. The charity’s
Community Heroes exhibit is designed to honor children who have
shown bravery in the face of their overwhelming illness, and inspire
other children who are sick.
The charity’s most innovative program is its MusicRXSM
activities. These award-winning initiatives range from providing
musical instruments and instruction to kids in hospitals to hosting
concerts and karaoke nights for children and families. The program
therapeutically enriches sick kids’ lives by giving them
an outlet for anger, fear, anxiety, and boredom, and lets them
just be kids in the midst of frightening, painful, and lonely illnesses.
Other
important programs designed to give children with cancer an outlet
for their creativity and energy can be viewed on the charity’s web site. With continued support, CCA will continue
to be a positive force in the lives of children with cancer, helping
more kids to get better, faster.
For more information,
visit www.childrenscancerassociation.org.
Each month the Council on Humane Giving profiles a health charity
that displays the Humane Charity Seal of Approval on its website
or literature. Please consider showing your support by writing a
letter of thanks or giving a donation, and be sure to tell your
friends, family and coworkers about this outstanding health charity.
Humane Charity Spotlight Archive
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