The Valerie Fund

Taken from http://www.njasc.org/charity/charity.html

 http://www.thevaleriefund.org/

http://www.thevaleriefund.org/camphappytimes/

When nine-year-old Valerie Goldstein lost her courageous fight against cancer in 1976, her parents Ed and Sue were determined to do something in her memory to aid others in their fight.

At that time, there were no comprehensive care facilities for children with cancer and blood disorders in New Jersey. During her treatment, Valerie and her parents would travel several hundred miles a week to hospitals in New York City. The daily trip between the hospitals and home took an emotional and physical toll on Valerie and her parents, sapping their energy at a time when they needed it most.

The Valerie Fund was born in the Goldstein's New Jersey basement - a group of benevolent friends wanting to make certain that no family should have to repeat what the Goldstein's endured. In 1977, The Valerie Fund Children's Center at Overlook Hospital opened, and became the first comprehensive care facility for children with cancer and blood disorders in New Jersey.

Since then, The Valerie Fund has always been responsive to the needs of children and their families, while remaining true the mission of bringing quality care close to home. Our facilities, programs and volunteers assist thousands of children and their families, helping to achieve victories large and small everyday.

From the unbearable despair of loss rose the rebellious, unconquerable seeds of hope. Thanks to the thousands of caring contributors and volunteers, today there are seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers for Cancer and Blood Disorders located in major hospitals in the tri-state area, providing caring and comprehensive health care to more than 5,000 children and their families each year.

Our approach is as unique and fundamental as our heritage: we firmly believe that disease in a child is best fought when the entire family is armed and supported to resist it. This means bringing state-of-the-art treatment centers close to the home, providing counseling and child development activities, making a summer camp experience that creates a one week miracle for children with cancer, and doing thousands of other things large and small that collectively make a difference.