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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