The Bear Fund

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.

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)

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.
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!


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.
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!

Voices of The Bear Fund
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…


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