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
In 2023, about 10,500 children in the United States under the age of 18 will be diagnosed with cancer, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncologists.
- The average cost associated with childhood cancer is over $800,000 for one child for medical costs and lost parental wages (2018 data).
- 1 in 3 families faces work disruptions, such as having to quit work or change jobs, because of childhood cancer treatment.
- Siblings of children with cancer experience more depression and anxiety and worse peer relationships than siblings without a chronically ill brother or sister.
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.
The 3 most common cancers faced by families applying for The Bear Fund:
Leukemia
Brain tumors
Sarcoma
The Impact of The Bear Fund
974 Families Supported
974 children & families have received grants, including 373 Hispanic and Latino families.
$1,000,000+ Raised
In less than 2 years, The Bear Fund has raised more than $1,000,000.
100% Acceptance
Certified applications have a 100% acceptance rate, and funds processed within 48 hours.
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 $50,000 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
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.