The RAINY DAY NEWMARKET CHILDREN’S PROJECT helps children and youth living in Newmarket, address social/emotional/financial devastation caused by their diagnosis of life-threatening illness. Whether it’s through services or funds, we help patients find the silver lining in their fight of their lives.

Most people do not know that pediatric patients are at risk of a life-long financial ruin, depression, anxiety and resulting mental health concerns. This project helps prevent such ruin with financial and social/emotional assistance: financial (pays past-due rent, past-due utilities, groceries, hospital parking costs, transportation to get to medical appointments), so the child can recover in their own home; social/emotional (gifts to hospitals and homes to bring smiles and joy back to the child, as they face the scary hospital experience; camp scholarships and backpacks when well enough to attend, to help reconnect with peers and return to a normal play life).

Research conducted by the Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Action Network discovered the financial impact of a chronic illness: “91% will suffer loss of income or a rise in expenses….For some, a cancer diagnosis begins a financial tailspin that pushes ordinary people over the edge resulting in debt, distress, bankruptcy and even a lifetime on social assistance” (www.cancer.ca/en/get-involved/take-action/what-we-are-doing/financial-hardship-of-cancer-in-canada-mb/?region=mb).

The American Psychological Association warns (www.apa.org) of serious social/emotional consequences of pediatric cancer, including anxiety, difficulties with peer relationships and inhibited or withdrawn behaviour. The U.S National Library of Medicine explains “Several programs developed in a summer-camp setting are extant … importance of quality of life when dealing with childhood cancer…quality of life is what the child says it is…play therapy has been shown to be a useful modality …” (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles)