The National Institute of Health estimates that 2.85 million children under the age of 18 in the US are living with a parent with cancer. These families, like Jen’s, face the unique challenges of living with cancer on a daily basis.

Jen is a middle school reading teacher and mother of 3 girls. Like other families, they were planning a summer vacation, but for Jen the planning ended abruptly when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The following nine months included grueling treatments, fear, uncertainty and the possibility that she may not survive. Jen was in remission for the next year, but sadly, her cancer returned. Jen now required life saving measures that included obliterative radiation, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

Throughout this time, Jen and her girls attended programs at Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia (CSCGP). They were immersed in a network of families who were also battling cancer. CSCGP provided the much needed support to manage the day-to-day stress and anxiety of living with cancer and enabled them to regain their strength to face each new challenge as they move through survivorship.

The need for services for families like Jen’s has continued to grow. We are proud to report that 100% of the families surveyed last year told us that it helped them to share their cancer related worries together. That is why we are seeking your support to enlarge our main activity room to make space for more family-focused programs and healthy lifestyle activities for all ages.

Please consider making a donation now to help us with this important work as we plan for 2019.

Happy Holidays and thank you from everyone at Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia.