What We Do
Because children should be children, not patients in a hospital
Like any serious medical diagnosis, childhood cancer places a significant financial burden on families. In many cases, one or both parents must take extended leave from work to care for their child undergoing treatment, as well as any siblings.
All of the programs we provide, are coordinated through the dedicated Child Life professionals and Social Workers at the pediatric cancer centers where these families receive care.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, every program is offered completely free of charge, ensuring families can focus on what matters most: the health and well-being of their child.
Financial Aid
Through the Foundation’s Refer-a-Child Program, and in collaboration with hospital Social Workers, we can provide direct financial assistance to families facing the challenges of childhood cancer. Support may include help with supermarket gift cards, transportation reimbursement, meal allowances, prescription co-pays, household utility bills, funeral expenses, and more.
This critical aid helps ease the financial strain on families, allowing them to focus on their child’s care and well-being during an incredibly difficult time.
The Bead Program
The Bead Program is a meaningful initiative created to document and honor the personal journey of children diagnosed with cancer or undergoing stem cell transplantation. Through this program, each child uses colorful glass beads as symbolic milestones to tell their unique story—each bead representing a specific experience or achievement along their treatment path. The program includes more than 60 glass beads and charms that identify with a specific treatment.
Sarah Grace Book Angels
The Sarah Grace Book Angels program provides new books to stock book carts at several pediatric cancer centers we serve. Through a strategic literacy partnership with Scholastic Books, the Foundation is able to supply age-appropriate, interest-based titles—allowing each patient to choose a book that resonates with them. Every book is theirs to keep, offering comfort, joy, and the gift of reading during a difficult time
The Escape Hatch
The Escape Hatch is designed to provide children newly diagnosed with cancer a moment of relief—an opportunity to escape from the overwhelming reality of their diagnosis and re-enter a carefree world of childhood. The child receives a special “travel suitcase” filled with fun, comforting, and engaging items intended to distract, uplift, and bring a sense of normalcy during a challenging time.
Chemo Duck
Chemo Duck is a cuddly companion designed to help children with cancer navigate their new reality through the healing power of play therapy. Chemo Duck is a powerful and therapeutic teaching tool that allows parents, caregivers, and medical teams to gently introduce treatment concepts and procedures in a child-friendly way. By providing comfort and understanding, Chemo Duck helps reduce fear and anxiety, supporting emotional healing alongside medical care.
School Supply Drives
Each year, the Foundation hosts school supply drives to support children with cancer and their families. While many of these children are unable to attend school in person, they still require essential supplies for home or in-patient tutoring. By providing backpacks, pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks, glue, and other necessary items, the Foundation helps ease the financial burden and time constraints on families—allowing them to focus their energy on treatment and care for both the patient and their siblings.
Halloween Goodie Bags
Fall and Halloween were among Sarah’s favorite times of the year. In her honor, the Foundation has spent over 20 years creating and distributing more than 500 trick-or-treat goodie bags each year. These festive bags are carefully filled with treats and toys that meet the safety and health guidelines of the pediatric cancer centers we serve—bringing joy, comfort, and a sense of normalcy to children during a challenging time.
Holiday Toy Drives
Beginning in early November each year, the Foundation launches its annual Holiday Toy Drive to bring joy and comfort to children battling cancer. Like our Book Program, Escape Hatch, and Bead Program, all toys provided must be brand new to protect children with severely compromised immune systems.
Childhood cancer often places a significant financial strain on families, and it is a core mission of the Sarah’s Angels team to ease that burden—especially during the holidays. For many of the children we serve, the gifts received through our toy drive may be the only ones they receive.
These special holiday programs are partially funded through our Holiday Extravaganza Raffle, held each November, helping us continue this tradition of giving and hope.
