Hi!! Thank you for coming to my fundraiser page!

My name is Sarah and as many of you know, I've been a nurse on the Hematology, Oncology & Stem Cell Transplant floor at Lurie Children's for four years! I am running this half in honor of the kids I help take care of every day. The concept of running a race scares me, but I cannot even tell you how easy it feels to run this for our kids, patients, and families. The strength, bravery, and vulnerability we have the honor of seeing every day is unmatched and this organization means the world to me.

A Little Lighter is an organization created by nurses specifically for the kids and families on our floor. I personally see the impact of this charity every day because it makes the heaviness of a cancer diagnosis a little bit ~lighter~ through all the little things. We are able to throw bubble parades, decorate rooms with fairy lights, provide warmies-- or cute, weighted, stuffed animals that we heat up in the microwave (my personal favorite), and much much more. Our goal is to make our kids feel a little safer and happier while they're on the unit. While some days my job is not easy, there is nothing better than celebrating the end of a chemo treatment with a dance party, bringing around our ice cream truck and seeing a patient smile, or finally giving a parent a night of sleep with a sound machine after nights of being surrounded by hospital beeps. All of our supportive items, research, and experiences are directly funded by YOU! 

$10 can buy a family a thermometer to detect early signs of life-threatening infections at home while their child is immunocompromised.

$14 can pay for a parking pass because every parent should be able to have dinner at their kid's bedside or hold their hand as they fall asleep.

$21 can buy a sound machine for the family's hospital room to drown out the machine beeps.

$62 can buy two warmies for our kids to cuddle with or help with their pain.

$100 can support a parent attending one of our parents support groups.

$500 can help fund an event for our Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) group to support teens going through cancer treatment.

$1,000 can go towards finding better treatment for pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease. 

Thank you so much for your support!