The Valerie Fund Blog

Dr. Heather Ginter is a Clinical Psychologist at The Valerie Fund Children's Center at the Goryeb Children's Hospital at Morristown Medical Center. She works with Valerie Fund kids every day but her job changed substantially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In her own words, she describes this new normal we are in and discusses some of the effects on our families. 

The staff of The Valerie Fund help raise the money that support the seven Children's Centers in hospitals across New Jersey, New York City, and metro Philadelphia. Our staff is responsible for working with donors and partners at all levels to fund the services of The Valerie Fund. Get better acquainted with some of the people you may already know and meet some of the new faces behind The Valerie Fund. 

2020 will be a year of many firsts and The Valerie Fund's Camp Happy Times will follow suit. For the first time ever, Camp Happy Times is going virtual but that doesn't mean our kids are not going to get a robust and fun-filled experience with the fellow campers and counselors they've come to love. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many new challenges for the patients and families of The Valerie Fund in these past months but the staff of The Valerie Fund Children's Centers have never wavered. They are true healthcare heroes who brave the front lines of the hospitals to ensure our kids are not only receiving their regular treatment but are also supported mentally and emotionally during this incredibly difficult time. Here are some stories of our healthcare heroes and how they've been there for our kids. 

When the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) launched a special fundraising initiative in 2014 to support children from our area being treated at The Valerie Fund Children's Centers, they might have predicted it would turn into one of their biggest industry-wide charitable efforts ever, raising over $2 million. After all, the franchised car and truck retailers they serve have long been champions of philanthropy and The Valerie Fund’s mission to support children with cancer and blood disorders resonated with so many. More than 200 dealerships throughout the state embraced the campaign over the years. In the showrooms, salespeople were kind enough to share their enthusiasm with customers who were made aware of the dealerships’ donations following their test drives and vehicle purchases. Some manufacturers also matched those contributions.  

Former TVF patient Sylvie never let her cancer diagnosis stop her. In fact, she took her experiences during treatment and used them to make herself even stronger and more willing to face her fears. Join us as we hear from Sylvie about her time in a Valerie Fund Children's Center and what she learned from joining the TVF family. 

Nicole Foster is a former Valerie Fund patient and cancer survivor. Recently, Nicole kindly offered to host a Wellness Workshop for survivors like herself. More than a dozen current and former Valerie Fund patients joined together to learn about the process of getting to a place of improved health and well-being. We have spoken about the importance of wellness and mental health on this blog before and you can refresh yourself by clicking here to learn about giving thanks, clicking here to learn about self-care for caregivers, or clicking here to learn tips on reducing stress. Join us as Nicole shares her story, her passion for health and wellness, and what her Wellness Workshop taught her fellow survivors. 

Even Mother Nature seemed to understand our disappointment in missing the opportunity to be together in Verona Park. She provided a weekend of spectacular weather to temper our sadness that for the first time in many years, we wouldn't be able to honor the courage and resilience of our Valerie Fund patients and their families in a very public way. We traded our blues for a stunning blue, cloudless sky three days in a row. Many of our supporters, more than ready to get rid of built-up quarantine inertia, made the time to walk or run in their own neighborhoods on behalf of The Valerie Fund.

Isabella has been a part of the Valerie Fund family for many years now. She was treated at The Valerie Fund Center at Morristown Medical Center's Goryeb Children's Hospital, gone to Camp Happy Times, volunteered at events and in the office, and, closest to her heart, been team captain of Bella's Bunch at The Valerie Fund Walk & JAG-ONE Physical Therapy 5K. Let's learn a little bit more about her story and why the Walk is so important to her.