Bear Necessities Small Miracles

Small Miracle Program

Small Miracle Wish List
June 5, 2009

There is a new way to sponsor Miracles! For those who are interested in purchasing items for Bear Necessities’ kids; you are invited to check out this list each week. Bear Necessities will feature 5 Miracles or Family Support Services for donors to sponsor. It is a great way to get involved and have a personal connection to the Miracles. These are all Miracles that kids or families have requested this week. Your support is greatly appreciated. To ensure that only item is purchased, please call the Bear Necessities office, before obtaining any items to ensure your sponsorship (Call Danielle at 312.214.1200 x25 or email at dvillariswets@bearnecessities.org )

$100 Whole Foods gift card
Cubs tickets
$50 Target gift card
Toddler wooden swing for the Adventure Play Sets Pathfinder
$25 Subway gift card

Please note, if you are interested in purchasing one of the items, you are responsible for buying the item and sending it to the office. All donations will receive proper acknowledgments for tax purposes.

The goal of the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation's Small Miracle Program is to support pediatric cancer patients and their families as they face the many physical, psychological, and financial challenges that accompany the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer. The program is only for residents of Illinois OR patients who are being treated at an Illinois facility listed on the BN website. Currently, other regional areas are being explored to expand the program's outreach.

The program consists of two components:

Doing something special for the child
Providing supportive services for the family

Funding for large group activities, parties and support groups does not fall under the guidelines of the Small Miracle Program, but should be applied for under the foundation's Information and Support Services grants.

CarePages are free, personal, private Web pages that help family and friends communicate when someone is receiving care. Visit www.carepages.com/bearnecessities to learn more.

We'd love to follow your progress. Please invite us to your CarePage by adding us to you email list - dvillariswets@bearnecessities.org

Small Miracle of the Week - June 5, 2009

Meet Allison . . .

Dear Wonderful Family that adopted Allison's Small Miracle, Hi! We just want to say thank you so much for sending Allison and our family to Timber Ridge Lodge in Lake Geneva. Our family has had an incredibly tough year. We found out in June that our one-year-old son Nicholas has mild hearing loss. Then in September we took my dad (who has had heart trouble for a while now) to Loyola Hospital and they basically told him he had to stay in the heart transplant unit and wait for a heart or he would not make it. Then in December Allison was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia. Nicholas is doing great with his hearing aids and his speech therapist is helping immensely. My father got the heart transplant he desperately needed at the end of October and is doing fantastic. I know Allison will pull through this as well and we will all be stronger for what we have endured. Wonderful adventures (as Allison called this last couple days) like this is what helps all of us get through the rough times and we owe it all to you. My parents joined us on the trip and got a room right next to ours; it was a wonderful get away for them as well. We would not have been able to plan this trip without your help and the help of Bear Necessities so I can't thank you enough. Allison loves being in the water so we spent most of our time at the indoor water park. She also loved the video arcade, the mushroom pizza, and the huge Jacuzzi tub in our room. I have included some pictures for you to see how much we enjoyed the wonderful get away. Thanks again, Kim, Wes, Allison, & Nicholas A special thanks to Allison's Small Miracle donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Small Miracle Backpack Sponsor - Real Living Helios Realty

We are grateful to Real Living Helios Realty for stepping forward to sponsor the Small Miracle Backpack Program that was kicked-off in July, 2006. The program provides all eight Chicago Hospitals with a pediatric cancer oncology department a supply of our backpacks to be distributed to children upon diagnosis or shortly thereafter. The backpack is filled with information to assist the families and child and it also includes our signature "Barrett" Bear. Real Living Helios Realty offers clients a fresh perspective on real estate in Chicago, through innovative technology, creative marketing ideas, and savvy, intelligent market analysis. Real Living Helios Realty is a member of the nation's most dynamic real estate network. Ranked in 2005 as the country's Most Innovative Real Estate Brokerage, Real Living is the industry’s technology leader. Using the latest tools -- including video podcasts, text message alerts, real-time communication, and other web-based marketing innovations -- our agents connect buyers and sellers quickly and easily, across Chicago and beyond. For more information, visit www.RealLivingHelios.com.