Special Love provides a strong, nurturing environment for children with cancer and their families; through its free camps and get-away weekends, emergency financial assistance, educational scholarships for young adults who have beaten cancer and now want to move on with their lives, and virtual programs so no child with cancer is every left out of the fun.
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, Special Love serves children and families from the Washington metropolitan area, as well as areas all across the country, ranging in age of 7 to 17, and young adults up to age 25.
Special Love Programs
Camp Fantastic welcomes more than 100 children each year who are actively in treatment for cancer, or are survivors up to 5 years past treatment as they adjust to their “new normal.” Campers range in age from 7 to 17.
Physicians and nurses from the National Institutes of Health provide complete medical care during camp so no child is left behind due to treatment. Because of this unique partnership Special Love is able to provide the camp experience to the sickest children, who otherwise would have no camp options.
BRASS Camp & BRASS Weekend – stands for BRothers And SiSters. BRASS is designed specifically for the siblings of our patients, as well as bereaved siblings. BRASS offers them a place for open, honest dialog with other campers and counselors to ensure they too are enveloped in a strong support system where they can put the family trauma of cancer away to spend time being a kid, with the focus completely on them.
Emergency Financial Relief
Special Love provides emergency financial relief to not only it’s Special Love families, but also families who have never participated in its programs. Assistance helps with non-medical needs such as utilities, rent and mortgage, auto repair and in the unfortunate event of the loss of a child to cancer, funeral expenses.
Educational Scholarships
Childhood cancer leaves families with debt, and some survivors with learning challenges that may make it difficult to attend or get into a college or other post-secondary educational institution. Each year, Special Love provides scholarships to 35 to 40 young cancer survivors who have participated in Special Love’s programs for books, housing and tuition.
Virtual Programs
Launched during COVID-19 to stay connected to children and families, Special Love’s VOICE (Virtual Online In-Home Camp Experience) brings the fun to children confined to home, or their hospital room, through arts & crafts, STEM classes, robotics and much more. All the materials they need to participate in a program is sent to them in advance.
Learn more about Special Love here