Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer Dba Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada

Candlelighters mission is to provide emotional support, quality of life programs and financial assistance to children and families affected by childhood cancer.

Our purpose is to alleviate the isolation many families feel at the time their child is diagnosed, to offer our love, care, encouragement, and understanding so that nobody need face alone the uncertain world of childhood cancer. Recognizing the various needs of individuals and families, we offer our support and service to every family, without regard to economics, race, religion, and choice of physician(s) or health care facilities.

All programs and services are given at no cost to the families. Donors have the satisfaction of knowing their support and contributions are directly helping Nevada families. 

Programs & Services
Through its many programs, Candlelighters provides assistance for quality-of-life issues that are a large part of the childhood cancer experience, including disease-specific education and emotional support. In certain circumstances, Candlelighters also offers families much-needed financial support. Some of the most vital services Candlelighters provide include: 

Travel for Treatment Program
Children diagnosed with cancer are fortunate to be able to receive the best possible care right here in their community under the direction of our local Pediatric Oncologists. Second opinions, bone marrow or stem cell transplant, the physician’s recommended treatment, or the parent’s preferences may necessitate out of state treatment. Candlelighters will help with the travel costs by providing assistance with airfare and/ or gas, lodging and food. Candlelighters can also provide assistance with local transportation needs, via taxi, for those families who do not have a way to get to doctor’s appointments or the hospital. 

Emergency Assistance Program
After a child is diagnosed and the course of treatment begins, often the result is a long hospital stay for the child and missed workdays for one or both parents. Loss of work time, plus the costs of health care, frequently causes families financial distress. In these instances, Candlelighters may be able to help families pay for living expenses such as rental, mortgage, and utilities.

Medical Expense Assistance Program
Medical bills for our families add up quickly and can be overwhelming for most. Co-payments alone can cost a family up to $250 per week depending on the child’s course of treatment. Candlelighters is able to assist families through our co-pay reimbursement program, based on our income guidelines, to help off-set the cost of out of pocket medical expenses.

Family Counseling
A childhood cancer diagnosis and its aftermath can be devastating for the child and his/her entire family, but medical insurance does not always cover the cost of counseling. Candlelighters will help families cope with psychological burdens by offering service and support for professional counseling services. 

Bereavement Support
Research today reports that childhood cancer has an 80% survival rate, unfortunately there are some children who do not survive.  Candlelighters will assist our families with funeral costs. 

Camp Independent Firefly
Each summer Candlelighters hosts a medically supervised camp for our Candlelighters children.  Diagnosed children, along with their siblings are treated to four days at the beautiful Torino Ranch, which is located 45 miles outside of Las Vegas, in Lovell Canyon. 

In addition to the above mentioned programs, we also offer a variety of support groups & activities, which include Teen Scene, Candlelighters Young Adults (CYA), Parents Helping Parents (Spanish & English), Art Parties, holiday parties and more!

#nvbiggive