September is Childhood Cancer Awareness and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness month. 

Each year, approximately 1,000 children are admitted to Children’s MN Hospital in Minneapolis with pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Despite COVID-19, this year will be no different. Children’s MN cares for more kids with cancer than anyone else in the state, including 70% of the kids diagnosed right here in the Twin Cities.

The Cancer Kids Fund at Children’s MN helps provide extra care and comfort to patients and families in the midst of a cancer or blood disorders journey. The fund supports patients and families by: making sure kids have art supplies/toys/games, covering meal and parking expenses amidst lengthy hospitalizations and frequent clinic visits, giving siblings a place to play while staying close, paying mortgage payments for parents whose worlds have been flipped upside down, providing comforting treatment such as aromatherapy and massage, arranging special visits at the hospital and celebrations like end-of-therapy parties, and boosting their care team with social workers, chaplains, music therapists, child life specialists, interpreters, etc. The fund also supports research to find new, better treatments.

In memory of my dear friend, John Keimig, amongst many others I care for who have been impacted by cancer or a blood disorder, I am raising money for Children’s MN Cancer Kids Fund. Every day, I see firsthand, how this fund makes the future look a little brighter for the most amazing people on earth.

Please consider sending $10 of that stimulus check to our own hometown version of St. Jude