The Giving Tree

 

Kids Who Care Foundation 

When children are sick in the hospital, who would know better what they’re going through than another child who’s been there?  In March of 2004, a girl named Risha was just 7 years old when she underwent an auto islet cell transplant for chronic pancreatitis.  She spent a very long time in the hospital staring at the blank, white walls and she realized other kids were probably facing the same problem.

Risha decided to create the Kids Who Care Foundation. The goals of this non-profit organization are to bring joy and cheer to kids undergoing major surgeries and who have chronic diseases like pancreatitis, to enable parents to share their child’s progress with family and friends online for free, and to provide education and support groups for children and their families. All of the programs offered by the foundation are free, and they are open to all children and their families no matter their medical condition.

With the help of friends, neighbors and her sister, Risha makes “quilt cards” for other sick children to help brighten their hospital room walls. The volunteers who help Risha make the cards are part of the Kids Who Care Club. The club’s Web site, http://www.kidswhocareclub.org/, is an interactive site for children and parents. Some special features of the Web site include a “My Journal” program: parents can keep a journal, upload pictures, and send messages online for free. Information about pancreatitis, and a support network for families dealing with this disease, can also be found on the Web site.

To learn how to make a quilt card, to request a quilt card to be sent to a child, or to learn how you can volunteer to help the Kids Who Care Foundation, visit http://www.kidswhocareclub.org/.