Charity Spotlight

Last Sunday, many people celebrated the Easter Holiday. When we think of this we most likely envision children opening baskets with toys and candy, kids running outside hunting for hidden eggs and finally, entertaining guests and gathering for food and fun times.

If this is what last Sunday was like for you then you’re very fortunate indeed because in reality, while you may have been enjoying yourself - other less fortunate families were grappling with the devastating and stark reality of dealing with the fact that their child is suffering and possibly dying with cancer.

Frequently, when we think in terms of cancer we fail to realize how often this horrific condition occurs in the innocent lives of young and precious children. According to the National Cancer Institute 15,780 kids were diagnosed with cancer in 2014 alone. It’s also incredibly heart-wrenching to know that of those, 1,960 or more than 12% perished.

While we could try to find some solace in the +87% that survived it’s difficult to sustain because the fact is that roughly 3 in 5 of the kids who become declared cancer free via a variety of treatments – will experience long term and severe health effects as a result of the treatments.

At first glance it’s quite obvious that this would have a profound impact on the entire family but take a moment to ponder these additional details:

• Extreme levels of stress just dealing with the uncertainty
• Depression and hopelessness while watching the child suffer
• Economic hardship results from foregoing work to stay with the sick child
• Daily tasks such as laundry fall behind and pile up because of the needs of the child
• Emotional trauma for the parents and siblings
• Siblings which are not sick receive less attention as the focus is on the sick kid

If you’re still reading you surely understand how heart-breaking childhood cancer is and how it can have a devastating impact on any family and this is precisely why we are writing this article. Firstly, we would like to increase awareness and secondly we would like to introduce you to a local Kansas City Charity that is working very hard to make a difference.

TNK Children’s Foundation is based right here in K.C. and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Their focus is on providing much needed support for families whose children are suffering with cancer. While TNK is unable to provide a cure for the diagnosis they are able to make a measurable difference by being there during a time of need.

Some services that TNK provides include but is not limited to:

• Help with house cleaning chores
• Help with running local errands
• Preparation of meals
• Supplying food and other household items
• Massage therapy to help with PTSD
• Sibling-parent activities
• Family support center

This charity, its core mission and the services it provides are a result of the founders’ Staci Upham-Tubbs and Casey Tubbs own personal experience. In 2001, their oldest son Jakob, was diagnosed with leukemia on his third birthday. The family entered a three-and-a-half-year battle of chemo treatments, followed by more than five years of battling the side effects of those treatments.

One of the things Staci & Casey learned from their journey was that there is insufficient resources available to help local families whose children have cancer - and so, TNK Children’s Foundation was born.

If you would like to help support TNK there are a variety of ways in which you can do that. One option is to donate much needed funding. You can visit http://huggedandkissed.org/ and opt to make a recurring monthly donation or a one-time donation as you prefer. All contributions are tax deductible. Other ways you can help include donating needed items or offering to volunteer your time.

Finally, if your child has cancer or if you know of a family whose child has cancer we encourage you to get in touch with TNK to enquire about how they can provide the support you need.