We're Here on the Day of Diagnosis...
Our programs and services become available for families as soon as their child is diagnosed with cancer. The services listed on this page are here to help as you begin to navigate the road ahead...
Register With Us
Your family is eligible for our support if:
• You live in Connecticut OR are treated in Connecticut
• OR you are treated at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital OR Baystate Children's Hospital
• AND the patient is under the age of 26
Day of Diagnosis Care
Our Bags of Love℠ become available to you as soon as your child's day of diagnosis. Filled with necessities for a first hospital stay, comfort items, and resources for the road ahead - our bag is a companion for you as you navigate your child's treatment.
Please request a bag here if your child is treated at Baystate Children's Hospital, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, or those living in Connecticut and being treated at another hospital. Yale New Haven Children's Hospital stores our bags and distributes them to families when appropriate. Please ask your social worker if you did not receive a bag at YNHCH.
Resource Guide for You
Our Purple Pages is a resource guide created for you by those in your shoes. It ensures you have access to all the relevant information you may need throughout your child's treatment and after - without the clutter and overwhelm of doing your own internet search. From where to get the best wig for your child to who can help pay your bills while you take time off to care for them and what's available for siblings... the Purple Pages has everything you need to get answers to all your questions.
This guide is updated twice yearly with resources gathered from families in our Circle and reviewed by our team to eliminate any guesswork for you. All resources should be active and up to date. If you find a problem with any of the resources in our guide or would like to suggest an addition, please let us know here.
Peer Support for Parents
Our Lifeline Peer Network pairs "veteran" families with newly diagnosed ones. Families can talk with someone who truly understands what they are going through, easing the isolation and helping to create a sense of community through shared experience. The Lifeline Buddy's role is to listen and offer comfort, hope, and practical strategies for coping with the daily demands of cancer treatment for the whole family. Your Lifeline Buddy respects your privacy and keeps all conversations confidential.
This program does not provide medical care, treatment, advice, or psychotherapy or interfere with the doctor-patient relationship in any way.
Let us know if you want to be paired with a buddy here. Our team will call you to discuss your child's diagnosis and make the appropriate match. Our buddies have been carefully selected. We match families by diagnosis and child age.
