Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
When a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, the day-to-day joys of childhood take a back seat to the rigors of treatment and hospitalization. For more than two decades, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life for children with serious medical conditions by providing entertainment, education and family activities that help them cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness.
We understand what families go through when a child is sick, and how important it is to find relief from constant worry and isolation. Our programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families with others facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone.
Serving more than 180,000 children each month, Starlight Starbright uniquely offers a comprehensive menu of both "high tech" and "high touch" programs. Our array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings enables us to provide ongoing support for children and families - before, during and after medical treatment. These programs include:
Family activities and outings, offered regularly to give families a chance to have fun together away from the hospital so they can relax, regroup and return home with a renewed sense of strength and hope. The events also forge connections between families struggling with similar issues to combat isolation.
Playrooms and special events designed to ease the loneliness, fear and boredom that accompany long hospital stays. Starlight Starbright has built more than 60 children's playrooms and teen lounges in hospitals nationwide that provide children with an inviting place to play, relax and connect. Additionally, we bring fun-filled special events involving musicians, clowns and other entertainers to pediatric hospital patients - even those who are bedridden - to provide a morale boost and important social interaction.
Technology-based programs like online communities, mobile entertainment centers and laptop computers that help kids fill the long hours with fun, and stay connected to their friends, keep up with school work and chat with other seriously ill children.
Educational programming via CDs, DVDs and the Internet that helps sick children understand common hospital procedures and manage illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, asthma, IBD and kidney disease. These programs combat the fear and uncertainty that often accompany illness with fact-based knowledge presented in an engaging and age-appropriate format.
