Charity Pitch: Chai Lifeline

Cancer is one of the most debilitating and dire diseases. Unfortunately, many of us know someone who has had cancer. We know the intense struggle it is for not only the innocent victims of the disease, but also their family and friends. Even with advances in medicine and technology, there is no easy path to curing cancer, and there are many hurdles patients and families must overcome in order to live a life cancer free. Some of these hurdles include just the daily struggle to do the things that they enjoy, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, while dealing with the severe side effects of chemotherapy and other poisons in their body. But other hurdles include things that don’t immediately come to mind when you think of cancer, such as medical bills, social life, education, etc. Many of these problems are exacerbated when the patient is a child and it is often overwhelming or impossible for families to deal with these on their own. Thankfully, there are organizations that fulfill that role, providing services and support to cancer patients and their families. One of these organizations, which I’m proud to support and pitch to the class, is Chai Lifeline.

Chai Lifeline is a charity with the mission of restoring the joy and bliss to children who have been diagnosed with life-threatening and life-long diseases and their families. They provide support services and counseling to patients, families, and communities. One of their main programs is Camp Simcha. Camp Simcha is a medically supervised four-week sleepaway camp for kids with cancer and other blood-related illnesses. They also have a program called Camp Simcha Special, which is the same except that it is for kids with multiple chronic medical conditions and disabilities, the first of its kind. Children at these camps learn valuable skills, make lifelong friends, gain confidence, and leave better equipped to deal with the tremendous adversity that they face.

            Chai Lifeline also provides many other concrete services that go beyond the intangibles that are so necessary. Volunteers from Chai Lifeline go to hospitals and children’s homes to cheer up patients and even sleep at the hospital, so that parents can tend to other things like their families and other needs. Chai Lifeline also provides transportation so that patients can go to their appointments. Chai Lifeline also provides delicious and nutritious meals for patients who might find the hospital food unappealing, and for parents who may not leave their child’s bedside even if it means not eating. They also work with hospitals to create kosher sections in their cafeterias, so that observant families can get snacks and meals without leaving the hospital. They also provide insurance advocacy and work with parents to make sure all their child’s needs are being fulfilled. Another program they have is big brother/big sister mentoring program, which can be very beneficial to the children. They also have retreats for the whole family so that parents and siblings can get counseling and enjoy themselves. The last program I want to list, although there are so many more great things that Chai Lifeline does, is their educational support. Education is essential for many aspects of a child’s life, but have a serious disease, such as cancer, can make it difficult to go to school, keep up with peers, etc. Chai Lifeline provides afterschool activities for patients, tablet loans so that students can send work to their teachers, skype with their friends, and read textbooks online, and tutors, so that kids don’t fall behind. Cancer is so disruptive to many aspects of a child’s life. Chai Lifeline’s vast and wholistic approach allows children and families to maintain a sense of normalcy and helps minimize the disruptive nature of cancer.

            Chai Lifeline is a great organization, but unfortunately, I only know of it because of the services they provided to my family. The year was 2001, I was less than a year old, my mother had just survived one of the worst terrorist attacks to happen in America, being in the World Trade Center when the planes hit on 9/11. The world was chaotic and busy, with my mother having to raise three young children, including me, a newborn, while working to rebuild Morgan Stanley following 9/11. It didn’t seem like life could get any harder, but unfortunately, my oldest brother was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three. My mom realized that she couldn’t work and take care of sick child and a newborn, and a 3-year-old at once, so she quit her job. My dad at this time was working in research, which was time consuming and didn’t pay much. It was a hard time, but thankfully they had the support of Chai Lifeline. My brother attended Camp Simcha and was happy and had a mentor that brought joy to his life. They also provided big brothers/big sisters to my brother and me. Chai Lifeline was there for our family.

            Cancer is a terrible, malicious disease, especially for children who are innocent and have their whole lives ahead of them. Chai Lifeline’s complete and comprehensive approach allows children and teens with cancer and their families to maintain happiness, hope, and a sense of normalcy in life, that is so important to their growth. I am proud to support Chai Lifeline and I hope you can too.

Andrew Werner