Send a Smile, Send a Bear to hospitalized children this holiday season!

The positive impact of Starlight's programs on the lives of seriously ill children has been widely acknowledged by researchers, medical professionals and Child Life specialists. The benefits of Starlight programs include: 

* Decreased pain and anxiety

* Increased knowledge and sense of responsibility for managing their disease

* Better methods to cope with their illnesses

* Decreased need for pain medication

* A greater willingness to return for treatment

* Released and transformed emotional pain

* A greater sense of peer support

* New friends who understand

* Alleviation of the stress, loneliness and isolation that often accompany prolonged illness

Children, infants and teens served by Starlight suffer from chronic, serious or life-threatening illnesses, physical disabilities and life-altering injuries.

While other organizations focus on finding cures, there are few organizations that provide children with strategies, programs and services that enable them to cope with the challenging daily demands of illness, injury or disability. While researchers look for cures and doctors work to restore a child's health, Starlight works to restore the entire family's spirits.