The Valerie Fund Blog

Since 1983, The Valerie Fund's Camp Happy Times has been hosting children whose lives have been affected by a devastating diagnosis of cancer. Any child who has or has had cancer is eligible to attend the one week overnight camp located in Tyler Hill, PA. 

Topics: Non-profit, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, Charity, cancer, camp happy times, camp

The Valerie Fund is proud to announce that Sue and Ed Goldstein will be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The determined efforts of the Goldsteins over the last four decades have resulted in access to compassionate care for thousands of children in New Jersey battling cancer and blood disorders. The induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 7^th in Asbury Park.

Topics: education, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, Charity, cancer, Founders, awareness, community events, new jersey, 40 years, nonprofit

For the first time in seventeen years, a new Valerie Fund Children's Center has opened at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Paterson, NJ. The Passaic County-based outpatient facility neighbors the northern New Jersey counties of Morris and Essex where several other Valerie Fund Centers are located. 

The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology division at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital was established in 1996, and treats a diverse population of patients. Much like the population treated at The Valerie Fund's Newark Beth Israel Center, English is not the primary language of patients and their families. At St. Joseph's Center, 60% are Spanish speaking and 10% speak Arabic. 

The Valerie Fund immediately enhanced the existing core services at St. Joseph's, their social work and child life programs and hired a psychologist, educational liaison and financial specialist. This team is led by Dr. Jill Menell, Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and Bill Copeck, Nurse Manager.  

Topics: child life, social worker, educational liaison, Pediatric Cancer, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is renowned for its pediatric healthcare services, and is currently home to the only Valerie Fund Children's Center outside the state of New Jersey. According to U.S. News & World Report, New York-Presbyterian consistently makes the magazine's Honor Roll as one of the best hosptials in the nation. The hospital's pediatric hematology-oncology department is led by Dr. Julia Glade-Bender alongside a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, psychologists, educational liaisons, child life specialists and social workers. Dr. Marie Barnett recently joined The Valerie Fund family as the Center's psychologist. 

Topics: child life, social worker, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

In 1977, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, was the first hospital to support Sue and Ed Goldstein in their mission to provide comprehensive health care to children in our area with pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Forty years later, their dream has come to fruition with the expansion of seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers.

In their book, "Where They Are Now: The voices that cancer & blood disorders couldn't silence," Sue and Ed reflect, "The Valerie Fund Children's Centers- in New Jersey, New York City and the Philadelphia area- evolved into what we had hoped for: institutions delivering expert medical expertise, unconditional support and loving kindness for the children under their care."

Topics: child life, social worker, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

Our next series of blogs will feature each of the seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers located in hospitals throughout the tri-state area. With multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, these centers focus on the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the 6,000 patients that are treated each year by The Valerie Fund. This care starts at the time of a patient's diagnosis to well after their treatment has ended. 

Topics: child life, social worker, Blood Disorders, pediatric, cancer, childhood cancer, sickle cell, caregivers, awareness, oncology, centers, new jersey, nonprofit

On Thursday, January 5th, Valerie Fund board members, staff, educational liaisons and parents all gathered at the Maplewood Country Club, in Maplewood, NJ to honor the 31 named scholarship recipients for the 2016 - 2017 academic year. The current or former Valerie Fund patients were chosen by members of the Valerie Fund Board Scholarship Committee based on merit, need or a combination of both. The program awarded 83 scholarships totaling $370,000, up by more than 30% from last year. 

Topics: Non-profit, education, pediatric, cancer, scholarship, scholarship program, new jersey

This past spring, The Valerie Fund Scholarship Program awarded 83 scholarships to patients from the seven Valerie Fund Centers for the 2016-2017 academic year. The total scholarship funding was over $370,000, up to more than 30% from last year. These scholarships have been made possible through the generosity of individuals and families to whom The Valerie Fund and our scholarship recipients are extremely grateful. 

Topics: Non-profit, education, pediatric, cancer, scholarship, scholarship program, new jersey

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Children who are treated at The Valerie Fund Children's Centers receive comprehensive health care. This not only includes state-of-the-art medical care, but the care of the patient's mental and emotional well-being. From diagnosis to well after treatment has ended, The Valerie Fund Center's multidisciplinary team identifies and treats the physical and emotional effects that manifest in pediatric patients. Psychological effects can include changes in attitude and behavior, breakdown in interpersonal relationships, depression and anxiety.

Topics: psychologists, psychosocial support, education, pediatric, cancer, caregivers, awareness, centers

The genesis of a new project by Valerie Fund founders Sue and Ed Goldstein titled “The Voices that Cancer and Blood Disorders Couldn’t Silence. Where They Are Now.”  came out of the understanding that the number of personal experiences that shape patients’ futures are immeasurable. They were curious about the journey current and former Valerie Fund patients have been on since diagnosis and they believe a collection of these stories would be a thought-provoking and rewarding read.

Topics: Blood Disorders, cancer, Publication, survivor, 40 years