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Editor's Note: The information below was provided by the Starlight Children's Foundation.

For nearly 30 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with serious medical conditions by providing entertainment, education and family activities that help them cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness. 

We understand what families go through when a child is sick, and how important it is to find relief from worry and isolation. Our programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families with others facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone.  

Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Starlight uniquely offers a comprehensive menu of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings which enable us to provide ongoing support for children and families — before, during and after medical treatment.

These programs include: 

• Family activities and outings that give families a chance to have fun together away from the hospital so they can relax, regroup and return home with a renewed sense of strength and hope. The events also forge important connections between families struggling with similar issues to combat feelings of isolation.  
• In-hospital entertainment technology that helps kids fill hours in hospitals or treatment centers with therapeutic fun; find distraction during long or painful medical procedures; access Starlight’s online educational programs and communities; and stay connected with the outside world and keep up with school work. 
• In-hospital playrooms, kid-friendly treatment rooms and special eventsthat help ease the loneliness, fear and boredom that accompany hospital stays. 
• Online communities and websites that help seriously ill teens connect with each other and find tips and strategies for coping with their medical conditions.  
• Educational programming — delivered via online games, ezines, webisodes, a comic book and websites — to help sick children understand common hospital procedures and manage illnesses and injuries such as cancer, sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, asthma, Crohn’s and colitis, severe burns and kidney disease. 

Studies demonstrate that Starlight’s programs help reduce children’s pain while helping them to better deal with, understand and manage their illnesses. In addition, Starlight programs help the child, parents and siblings experience less depression, anxiety, pain and isolation and bond as a family. The way we see it, while researchers look for cures and doctors work to restore a child's health, Starlight works to restore the entire family's spirits. 

We invite you to be a part of the growing Starlight network of supporters who are making a difference in the lives of children and families suffering through childhood illness.

For more information on the Starlight Children's Foundation, visit www.starlight.org

- Starlight Children's Foundation