Children’s Art On Holiday Cards Helps To Fight Cancer

They range in age from 8 to 19, have different interests, live in different towns, but share one thing in common – cancer. Joe, Amanda, Samantha and Lucy are pediatric cancer patients at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. Last December, in between visits to specialists and chemotherapy treatments, each took the time to create a holiday card that will be sold to fund services to fellow patients and their families.

Every year, The Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer, with the help of four child artists, sells holiday cards to fund supportive services for pediatric oncology patients. Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital averages more than 2,000 pediatric oncology outpatient visits each year. Various forms of cancer are treated, including leukemia, osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and brain tumors. Treating these illnesses often requires chemotherapy, which means children must spend hours sitting quietly while receiving treatment.

Funds raised by The Tommy Fund purchase items such as VCRs, TV monitors, radio headphones, games, toys and other equipment to help kids pass the time while receiving treatment. Funds also support a refreshment area for adults who accompany the child. Support groups are an important part of treatment and The Tommy Fund helps underwrite the expense of these groups, as well as sponsoring a big holiday party at the end of the year for all patients, families and staff. In addition, The Tommy Fund supports clinical research fellowships at Yale for the training of physicians in pediatric oncology. Many of these supportive services could not be provided if not for The Tommy Fund and the money raised through the sale of holiday cards.

“Many of the people behind The Tommy Fund have personal experience with the strain a diagnosis of cancer puts on a family,” said Tom Brunnock, a Waterbury attorney and the president of The Tommy Fund. “Support groups and entertaining diversions for children are invaluable in helping families cope with a child’s cancer.”

Tommy Fund holiday cards are sold in packages of 12 and sell for $12. Cards can be purchased at all Connecticut Motor Club AAA offices in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties, Adams Super Markets and Super Food stores; Atrium Gift Shop at Yale-New Haven Hospital, 20 York St., New Haven. For more information call toll-free 888/700-6543.

The Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer is a nonprofit, independent organization that supports patient care, teaching and research related to pediatric oncology.