Our Mission:
In the state of Maine more than 60 children are diagnosed every year with a form of Childhood Cancer.
Waddles for A Cause will assist families facing financial hardship due to a Childhood Cancer diagnosis. The organization will work with the staff at Maine Children’s Cancer Program to identify families in need of assistance and provide relief with monthly bills, healthcare costs, gas cards, hotel stays, etc.
Waddles for A Cause will also work with local organizations such as Maine Children’s Cancer Program, The Red Cross, The Dempsey Center, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, etc. to support the development of child, parent and sibling support groups and educational opportunities for both families affected by childhood cancer as well as awareness opportunities for the general public.
Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) go through extremely intense treatment in the first 30 days after diagnosis, also known as Induction. Many families find themselves hospitalized for all or most of this treatment period due to the need for close monitoring and high rate of side effects to the child’s body.
Only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget is devoted to pediatric cancer, leaving pediatric cancer vastly underfunded and under researched.
The average hospital stay for a child with cancer is more than $40,000. 1 in 4 families report losing more than 40% of their annual household income as a result of treatment related work disruption. This number does not account for out of pocket expenses such as travel to treatment, childcare expenses when children cannot attend schools or daycare, medical expenses, etc.
Make a donation.
At any point more than 200 children are being treated at Maine Children’s Cancer Program. Your donation today helps these families with monthly bills, co-pays, medical expenses, gas to get too and from treatment, etc.