The Gathering Place Press has released a novel kind of book for children who are close to someone with cancer. If a particular situation or procedure does not apply to the patient in question, such as death or chemotherapy, you can remove that page, making it a truly customizable book. What a clever idea!

The book was authored by Kathleen McCue, a Child Life Specialist with over 30 years experience in children’s mental health when faced with serious illness. It was illustrated by Jenny Campbell.

You can order the book for $21.95, with the price dropping for quantities above 24 units.

Camp Kesem is a week-long summer camp for children aged 6 to 13 whose parent has cancer. When a family member has cancer, much of the family’s focus is on the patient and sometimes there isn’t time for the younger child to get quality attention or even to understand what is really happening.

There are hundreds of summer camps to choose from, but children from cancer-afflicted families will enjoy being just kids and do the fun things they can at the other camps. The leaders are college students, but they do not provide any therapy. Instead, there are cabin chat sessions where children can talk about their home experiences (or anything else on their mind) with others. Since every participant comes from a cancer-afflicted family, no child feels different and can help others by sharing their own experience. See the videos and check out their website.

Many people have reported a positive experience using the Kimmie dolls and books from Kimmie Cares, which is a trademark of the Partners for a Cure Foundation. This article from CNN, “Honey, Mommy Has Cancer” relates the experience of a single mother Cindy Hurst, from Phoenix, Arizona.

Hurst was trying to explain her breast cancer and forthcoming hair loss to her daughter, Ellie. She let Ellie cut her hair and tried talking to her, but it wasn’t until she bought a Kimmie doll, which has detachable hair and comes with a bandanna that Ellie finally understood.

The Kimmie dolls are named after Kim Goebel, who passed away as a result of cancer. Kim wanted to make it easier for mothers to explain the disease and its effects, so with the help of her older sister Kris, the Kimmie doll and the Partners for a Cure Foundation were born. The dolls are available in several ethnicities. Visit the Kimmie Cares website for more information.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). At the age of 4, Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a USA-wide fundraising movement, complete with thousands of volunteers across the country carrying on her legacy. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charity, has raised more than $19 million towards fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 80 research projects.

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Wigs for Kids is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organisation that helps to provide wigs for children who have lost their hair while undergoing chemotherapy, burns, alopecia, or other medical conditions. Wigs for Kids seeks donations of money and of suitable hair to make wigs. Donors include companies, foundations, groups, schools, church and individual contributions. Donations are tax-exempt in the United States.

Custom-made wigs cost $1500 each, so the organisation relies on your donations, including a $125/month sponsor-a-child program that makes it easier to reach that target. Other great ideas on the site include holding Cut-a-Thons to raise funds for this cause. Check them out!

KidsCope is a US not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that helps children and families understand the effects of cancer or chemotherapy on a loved one, to provide suggestions for coping, and to develop innovative programs and materials that communicate a message of hope to diverse families coping with this crisis. In particular, KidsCope helps children understand a parent’s cancer.

Kemo Shark is a 16-page Word document that you can download from KidsCope.org. It was written by H. Elizabeth King, PhD, illustrated by Diane Williford Steele and conceived by Mitchell McGough.

It is a beautifully illustrated story about a shark named Kemo, who goes inside a child’s mother to fight the bad cells. Kemo Shark has poor vision and cannot easily tell the bad cancerous cells from the good cells, so there are side effects such as hair loss and sensitivity to smell. Such examples help the child to better understand their parent’s treatment and pain. The book also provides coping strategies such as drawing pictures of cancer cells and tearing them up to get rid of them.

KidsCope needs donations and your support. Visit the site today!