Your Child Has Cancer: You’re Not Alone

“Your daughter’s white blood cell count is 1.2 million, and the cells we’re seeing are consistent with leukemia.” These are words no parent ever wants to hear—yet that’s what Marissa and I were told in February 2002. I was in shock, thinking there must be some mistake. Marissa asked the question no parent should ever have to ask: “Is Sarah going to die?” We were told that while “great progress had been made in treating leukemia, Sarah’s case was especially aggressive, and her chances of survival were not good.”

For nine months, we endured an emotional rollercoaster of highs & lows, hope and heartbreak until ultimately Sarah passed away in November 2002.  As the months followed, we struggled to understand how to move forward. How does a family of four continue as three? We realized that we would always be a family of four—just in a different way—and that we would ensure Sarah’s light continued to shine.

From that commitment, The Sarah Grace Foundation was born with a single mission: to provide comfort and support to children with cancer and their families. For the past 23 years, we have honored Sarah’s legacy by helping thousands of children. You can help us continue this work through your generous contributions and by using the “Refer a Child” form on our website.

Here’s how it works: Pediatric oncology social workers primarily use the referral system, but anyone can do so and refer a family in need. After submitting some basic information, our team will contact you to better understand the family’s most pressing needs. We’ll ask about the child’s interests, whether they have siblings, and what those siblings enjoy as well.

We also gather details about where the child is receiving treatment and coordinate directly with the hospital social worker. Together, we develop a plan to support the family. Today, many requests involve food insecurity, so we frequently provide grocery gift cards for stores that are most convenient for the family.  In other cases, families may need financial help with utility bills, medical copays, or other essential expenses. Our goal is to meet as many needs as possible.

In addition, we strive to provide thoughtful gifts that bring comfort and moments of joy to both the child and their siblings during an incredibly difficult time.  We aim to provide items that will be ease the child’s anxiety and distract them from daily treatments so they remember that they are children, not patients in a hospital. 

There are two important take aways: first, the referral process is simple and accessible; and second, all support and services provided by the Foundation are completely free to families. All Foundation programs are made possible entirely through the generosity of you, our donors. We are deeply grateful for your support, and we are proud to serve as stewards of that generosity.