The Bear Fund

Nick, heather, and their two kids sitting on a dock

Fight Cancer Like a Bear

In the fall of 2019, Nick and Heather Baker's youngest child Barrett ("Bear") was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer. Bear endured over 2 years of chemotherapy and 8 surgeries, including a liver transplant, to help him reach remission. His resiliency is a source of inspiration for the family and their legion of friends. 

In 2021, Nick and Heather joined with the Cancer Support Community to establish The Bear Fund to provide navigation resource services and financial assistance so every child can Fight Cancer Like a Bear. 

Donate to The Bear Fund
Child smiling

The Need for The Bear Fund

9,550 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2025, and after accidents, cancer is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14.

  • The average cost associated with childhood cancer is $833,000 for one child and one diagnosis (The Economic Impact of Childhood Cancer)
  • 25% of families lose more than 40% of their annual household income as a result of childhood cancer non-treatment expenses (lost hours of work, job, additional childcare). (2024 ACS Facts and Figures Report.)
  • Parents report worsening of their own health 6 to 18 months following their child’s diagnosis. (2024 Coalition Against Childhood Cancer)
Man speaking at Bear Fund event

Other Ways You Can Support The Bear Fund

Thank you to Boldyn, who chose their holiday party to launch a giving campaign to celebrate the work of the Bear Fund and to offer employees the chance to donate individually along with their corporate match. The campaign raised over $20,000 for the Fund over the course of one month. 

Your company can do this too. Reach out, and we can help you set up a giving page to support the amazing work of The Bear Fund.

Contact Us

I wanted to thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for this gift card! It’s going to be so helpful for my daughters and I to purchase groceries and other things that they are in need of. Your generosity truly made my week! Thank you so much!

A thankful parent
Mother and Daughter outside

The Impact of The Bear Fund

People's faces on a scale

1000+ Families Supported

Over 1,000 children & families have received grants, including 402 Hispanic and Latino families.

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$1.2 Million Raised

Since the program began, The Bear Fund has raised more than $1.2 million to support pediatric cancer patients and their families directly.

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100% Acceptance

Certified applications have a 100% acceptance rate, and funds processed within 48 hours.

Mother helping child into car seat

Grants for Special Circumstances

The Bear Fund also awards grants for families facing special circumstances related to their child’s cancer care that typically have higher costs. Since the start of The Bear Fund, we've awarded over $56,000 to families to help ease the financial burden of special circumstances. 

Here are a few ways families have applied their grant awards:

  • Extended lodging for treatment
  • Travel to distant treatment centers
  • Mortgage payments to keep a family from losing their home during treatment
  • Room decorations for a child entering hospice care
  • Funeral expenses

Share a Message of Thanks

Has your family received support through The Bear Fund grant? We’d love to hear how it helped you. Stories like yours can help us keep the fund going.

 

Share Your Feedback

I wanted to take a moment to thank The Bear Fund. Thank you for being there for this family in our time of need. Things are really hard right now, I'm not able to work right now because of the care my son needs plus all the hospital visits and just my family as a whole. You all stepped in and made sure our rent and utilities were paid and we appreciate it so very much!

A grateful family
A mother with her arm around her son

Voices of The Bear Fund

Duration: 4 min

Help Kids Like Emma

Emma was 13 when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She traveled 100 miles roundtrip from her home in Ohio for 30 treatment visits at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The Bear Fund helped Emma’s family afford gas so she could get…

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The Baker Family

Support The Bear Fund

Your support makes it possible to provide pediatric services for children like Emma and for other families across the country.

Donate Today

Carla is a 17-year-old cancer patient who was admitted to the hospital last fall due to a relapse of her leukemia, necessitating a bone marrow transplant (BMT). 

Carla and her family (mother, father and 10-year old sibling) relocated to Los Angeles for Carla to receive the BMT. Carla faced multiple complications from the treatment, making it impossible for her mother to work. Her mother spent time between Carla's bedside and caring for Carla's sibling while Carla's father took odd jobs. 

Through support from The Bear Fund, CSC was able to help them put food on the table, buy a meal from our cafeteria, and meet other basic needs.

A social worker at Children's Hospital Los Angeles