Recent Examples:  (3'10)

Growing Hope – Below are a few examples of how your donations have made a difference in the lives of children with cancer and their families within the past six months.   Most families assisted are receiving treatment at the City of Hope.  Thanks to your contributions we are beginning to expand services to other Children’s Hospitals.

$589.77 Medical payment - Patient relapsed in January and the family has a $4000 deductible for their insurance. The parents were denied assistance because they both work - mother is taking a leave due to patient’s surgeries. (Andrew, 5 yr. old from Temple City)

$725.00 Rent payment, $100.00 Gas cards - Patient is in the hospital for BMT *- Mother is not working and father has missed some work without pay. (Abril, 4 yr. old from Lemoore)

$200.00 Walmart card - The family came from China with nothing and father is unable to work due to disability from his own cancer. Patient just began high school and family has limited resources. Gift card is so the family can purchase clothes and undergarments. (Rui, 15 yr. old from Rosemead)

$583.98 Car payment - Patient is newly diagnosed with brain tumor. Mother needed to stop working to care and stay with son at hospital while he receives therapy to regain speech and strength. Mother has applied for aid, but does not currently have any income. (Bryan, 20 yr. old from Winnetka)

$1,000.00 End of Life Support - Funeral Expenses (Ivanna, 11 yr. old from Pasadena)

$100.00 Gas cards - $100.00 Grocery cards - Patient undergoing chemotherapy and is traveling to the hospital 2 times a week for treatment. Father is a single parent, primary caregiver and is unable to work. (Miguel, 11 yr. old from San Bernardino)

$100.00 Target cards - $100.00 Gas cards - BMT* Patient needs assistance for household durables and toys. (Ethan, 4 yr. old from Glendale)

$69.73 Prescription reimbursement - BMT* Patient - Family has relocated from Las Vegas for treatment. Patient’s insurance did not cover prescriptions. (Diego, 4 yr. old from Las Vegas, NV)

$950.00 Rent payment - BMT* Patient with several appointments weekly. As a result father has been unable to work as often because he provides care and
transportation. (Silvia, 14 yr. old from Pasadena)

50 In-room meal tickets & 90 Cafeteria meal tickets - Social Worker Emergency Supply for parents & caretakers staying several days or weeks at the hospital to care for children.

$600.00 Grocery cards & $300 Gas cards at $25 each - Monthly Social Worker Emergency Supply

Pajama Party for 450 patients and family members - Santa, dinner, new pajamas, games, and prizes

DGF provides snacks, drinks, toys, books, arts & craft supplies, DVDs, Hope Kits and holiday decorations.

*   BMT -   Bone Marrow Transplant

Thank you for “touching the lives of children with cancer” and helping us GROW HOPE!

Please watch for upcoming events & volunteer opportunities

Recent Examples:  (3'09)

$500.00 Rent Payment – Low Income family needed to relocate and are struggling financially.  Patient is in-patient for BMT* (Jose, 3 yr old from San Bernardino)

$70.00 Purchase of a wig for patient – insurance will not cover (Brisa, 9 yr old from San Jacinto)

$200.00 Funeral expenses – Family trying to cover bills and funeral expenses – Father was laid off from work. (Miranda, 6 yr old from San Gabriel)

$310.19 Utility bill, $100.00 Grocery cards – Financial  Crisis Support (Kaydance, 2 yr. old from Apple Valley)

$1011.14 Two months of mortgage payments – Single parent - struggling from loss of work hours –needing to care for patient suffering from several medical complications (Shawn, 16 yr old from San Bernardino)

$300.00 Security Deposit - Family needed to relocate to a safer environment (Natalie, 2 yr. old from Baldwin Park)

$100.00 Gas cards and $100.00 Grocery cards (Mariah, 9 yr. old from Roseville) Kaiser - Oakland

$200.00 Grocery cards, $100.00 Gas cards. (Destiny, 16 yr. old from Burbank) CHLA**

$1500 Financial Support, groceries, lodging, etc. for City of Hope patient from out of state (Elijah, 5 yr old from

Roswell, NM)

$179.93 Phone bill – Financial Crisis Support (Yahir, 10 yr. old from Pomona)

$500.00 Rent payment – Father recently lost job to care for his daughter and wife, both undergoing cancer treatment (Angie, 16 yr old from Orange)

$300.00 - 50 In-room & $450.00 – 90 Cafeteria meal tickets - Social Worker Emergency Supply for parents & caretakers staying several days or weeks at the hospital to care for children

$600.00 Grocery cards  $300 Gas cards at $25 each – Monthly Social Worker Emergency Supply

Pajama Party for 400 patients and family -  Santa, dinner, new pajamas, games, and prizes

DGF provides phone cards, snacks, drinks, toys, books, arts & craft supplies, DVDs, Hope Kits and holiday decorations

*   BMT -   Bone Marrow Transplant

** CHLA – Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Thank you for “touching the lives of children with cancer” and helping us GROW HOPE!

Please watch for upcoming events & volunteer opportunities

Recent Examples:  (4'08)

$100 in grocery cards – Due to chemotherapy, patient has had nausea with little to- no appetite and has lost 14 lbs in one month. Mother is a single mother who is barely making ends meet and needs grocery cards to purchase nutritional supplements not covered by insurance. (Ricardo, 16 yr old from Azusa)

$300 – Special clothing needs due to weight gain as a result of treatment (Ashley, 17 yr old from South El Monte)

 $810.78 Cobra Insurance Payment for single father not able to work (Sergio, 13 yr old from Santa Paula)

$100.00 Cafeteria Meal tickets, $100.00 Grocery cards, $75 Gas cards –Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Patient has 5 siblings at home. Father is taking family leave, mother also taking time off to care for other children. (Miranda, 5 yr. old from Carlsbad)

$1,018.80 total for various medical and transportation expenses - Patient was re-admitted for disease and complications with BMT. Patient has to delay going home and mother is unable to return to work. Family is from Central California area and is experiencing significant financial strain. (Andrew, 2 ½ yr. old from Tulare)

$300.00 - 50 In-room meal tickets, $450.00 – 90 Cafeteria meal tickets – Monthly Social Worker  emergency supply

$828.40 Mortgage payment – Patient was discharged from a long hospital stay due to BMT. Mother missed a lot of work with unpaid leave. Single mother with 3 young children - Mother is at risk of getting car re-possessed due to overdue payments. (Nicole, 2 ½ yr. old from Corona)

$150.00 Grocery cards – Patient is inpatient for transplant. Parents are struggling to provide support and care for patient as well as 4 siblings at home. Parents are unable to pay for childcare and are having difficulty purchasing groceries. (Jonathan, 7 yr. old from Stanton)

$100.00 Gas cards, $100.00 Grocery cards - Patient recently diagnosed with kidney cancer and is receiving treatment. Transportation, lodging and medication expenses are adding up quickly. (Jacob, 3 yr. old from Lancaster) UCLA Medical Center

1 night stay at the City of Hope village prior to starting stem cell collection. Patient lives far away from the hospital and needs to start procedures very early next morning. (Samaria, 2 1/2 yr. old from Bakersfield)

$973.71 total for various bills - Patient is coming for BMT. Patient has had a long and complicated treatment. Mother is unable to work and father has missed a lot of work that goes unpaid and without benefits. Family in urgent need to pay bills. (Eliana, 16 yr. old from Pacoima)

$175.00 Grocery cards - Patient is a BMT patient and is staying in the village for 2 weeks after being discharged from the hospital. Family could use assistance with groceries. (Noe, 10 yr. old from North Edwards)

** BMT – Bone Marrow Transplant

$669.88 Medical Insurance Bill – Patient needs assistance with Cobra, 2 months. (Precious, 7 yr. old from Lancaster)

$550.00 Rent payment – Patient currently inpatient for BMT. Patient is having complications so father needs to stay with patient and mother for extra support. Father does not have paid time off and has missed a lot of work. (Claudia, 3 yr. old from Shafter) Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

$100 Grocery cards, $100 Gas cards – Patient has cervical spinal cord tumor. Family having financial hardship. (Gisselle, 7 yr. old from San Jose) Kaiser Medical Center in Oakland

2 night stay at the village for pre-BMT workup. Patient lives far away from the hospital and insurance will not cover. (Abram, 8 yr. old from San Jacinto)

$401.16 GMAC bill –Patient is currently inpatient for BMT. Mother is at bedside and taking unpaid leave to be with him. Family needs help with paying car payment. Car is only means of transportation for whole family. (Richard, 18 yr. old from Moreno Valley)

$250.00 – Lodging at the Ronald McDonald House for twenty five days (Ylaria, 2 yr. old from Bakersfield)

$100.00 Gas cards, $200.00 Grocery cards - Patient is inpatient for BMT. Mother is with patient and not working, father is on limited work schedule to care for other siblings. (Sarah, 6 yr. old from La Mesa)

$500.00 Medications not covered by insurance (Jordyn, 8 yr. old from Riverview, Michigan) Detroit Children’s Hospital

5 night stay in the City of Hope village – BMT Patient from Central CA area and needs to stay in village for 3 days pre-BMT. Sibling donor is also coming and will need 2 days in village to donate bone marrow. Family very limited on resources and insurance will not cover. (Cody, 13 yr. old from Merced)

$150.00 Walmart cards, $100.00 Grocery cards, $50.00 Gas Cards – Financial Crisis Support. (Natalie, 2 yr. old from Spring Valley) Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego

$500.00 End of life, funeral and burial expenses. $300.00 Grocery cards, $200.00 Gas cards. Father is unemployed and mother needed grief related leave from work. (Victor, 11 yr. old from Downey)

Disneyland Birthday Wish including $100.00 for parking and expenses. (Tamia, 4 yr. old from Pasadena)

$240.50 Tuition payment – Patient has Hodgkin Disease and continues to follow up at COH. She is a student at El Camino College and needs assistance with her tuition. (Dania, 19 yr. old from Bellflower)

Playstation 3 bundle with games - $557.48 Birthday wish for patient admitted tobe in the hospital for over 5 months (David, 15 yr. old from Wildomar)

PJ’s, $100.00 check for assistance, $50.00 gas cards, DVD and puzzle – Emotional support for patient and family during the holidays. (Mary Claire, 3 yr. old from Bridgeville, PA) St. Jude’s

$1,000.00 – End of life, funeral expenses. Mother is a single mom. (Ricardo, 18 yr. old from Azusa)

Holiday Party with Santa and Pollo Loco lunch for 25 patients in the hospital during the holidays.

Disneyland Wish - $200 for gas, parking and other expenses (Mylis, 10 yr old from Bloomington)

Shopping Spree Wish at Saks Fifth Avenue (Kelly, 15 yr old from Glendale)

Dear Friends at DGF,

I am writing to thank you for your generous financial assistance that you sent us for Addison.  It will be most helpful to us and our appreciation is immense.  Our daughter was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) on June 3, 2008.  It was a devastating diagnosis for us, as I am certain it is for all families who receive such news.  Addison has made it through these past few months very smoothly.  We consider ourselves very fortunate, considering the many complications and setbacks that can occur.  Through this experience we have become very aware of what many families suffer with and through when cancer is the diagnosis.  So, from the bottom of our hearts we thank you for the work that you do and for thinking of us!

Sincerely,

Dan, Erin and Addison