As many of you know I am a registered nurse on the Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant Unit at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Each year, thousands of children are diagnosed with Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders. The past two years working with this patient population has truly changed my life. I take care of the brightest souls who fight one of the hardest battles. Whenever I tell people this is my job I often get the response “how do you do it?” and I wish my answer could be more simple. Every day is different and each shift brings various challenges and emotions. But what I have found is that the little things make a huge difference. The little things such as bringing my patient a colorful fuzzy blanket after they have been stuck in a hospital bed for days. The little things such as giving my patient a jolly rancher while flushing their central line because the taste of saline makes them nauseous. The little things such as providing a pill box to new diagnosis patient’s and families upon discharge to help organize all of the new medications their child will now be on. Our goal is to make each patient’s diagnosis a little lighter and a huge part of achieving that goal comes from you. All of our supportive items and experiences are directly funded by your donations. 

$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 so both parents can come to bedside for dinner without thinking of the cost of another parking space. 

$50 can buy games and distractive toys for kids during their long hospital stays.  

$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. 

As a nurse I see firsthand the heartache these families endure. Join me in helping make their heaviness a little lighter as I run 26.2 miles for all of the children and families that have been affected by Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders.