The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation

?? NEW VIDEO ALERT Check out our new and refreshed ‘Who We Are’ video highlighting Andrew’s story, the founding of B+, our work, and our impact. ?? SHARE: Every share brings awareness and helps us make a difference in the lives of families battling childhood cancer!?

Oftentimes, follow-up care and routine check-ups are needed to ensure that the cancer hasn’t come back. This care can be expensive from driving to and from appointments, taking time off work, and everything in between. #FactFriday #ChildhoodCancerFact #CCAM #HOPEtember Source: Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2)

Meet B+ Hero Kinsley ?? She is 3 years old and was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Kinsley loves her brother and wishes she could go to Disney World! Your support last month allowed The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation to pay her family's mortgage and give them one less thing to worry about as they help their daughter fight for her life. To help more families like B+ Hero Kinsley’s donate here: https://bit.ly/3X45f3u To hear more stories from families we've been able to assist because of your support, please subscribe to our email newsletter: https://bit.ly/3R9a8rC #CCAM #HOPEtember

Your support does this???

We’re excited to be a Bronze Sponsor of the 13th annual CUREFEST INC 2024 in Washington DC this weekend! CureFest for Childhood Cancer is a global event that brings together thousands of individuals and organizations from around the world, both in-person and virtually. Hundreds of childhood cancer foundations, families, medical professionals, and elected representatives come together in the Nation’s Capitol as One Voice against childhood cancer. If attending, come see us on Saturday evening at Freedom Plaza to learn more about our work! #HOPEtember #CureFest #CureFest2024 #CureFestAroundTheWorld #CancelChildhoodCancer #GOLDSTRONG

?? TESTIMONIAL TUESDAY “I joined Fordham Dance Marathon because I wanted to make a difference in the community and be part of something when I got to college. I quickly realized that getting involved in FDM was so much bigger than myself. Getting to hang out with our B+ Heroes opened my eyes to how beautiful the gift of life truly is. Every child deserves a chance to make it to their next birthday and that's why I dedicate myself to this cause. I will continue doing all I can to help kids grow up.” - Joe Villanueva, Fordham University student & FDM Fundraising Director

Thank you to the Philadelphia Phillies for making B+ Heroes Rosie and Sloane feel like the true superheroes they are during #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth ??? Six-year-old B+ Hero Rosie is currently battling a rare tumor and form of leukemia. Recently, Phillies Ball Girls, employees, and volunteers surprised her and her sisters with a Phillies extreme-room makeover featuring loads of memorabilia, bobbleheads, giveaways, and more. Four-year-old B+ Hero Sloane finished treatment for neuroblastoma in June. Sloane had the opportunity to throw out the honorary first pitch at the Phillies vs Mets game on September 14th.

B+ Nation’s support + the dedication of our national network of social workers = another year of being the #1 provider of financial assistance to families with children battling cancer in the nation!See what social workers are saying about The B+ Family Assistance Program ?? “I have been working with The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation for over a year and this foundation has helped numerous patients of ours.? Everyone I have worked with has been extremely helpful and supportive.? Thank you to everyone at B+ for making a huge difference in the lives of our patients and their families!” - Mary Beth Chrestman, LCSW Ochsner Health

Meet 12 year old B+ Hero, Riley. This is her story with leukemia, The B+ Foundation, and how the glassybaby family has impacted her fight against Childhood Cancer.? ? "My daughter Riley was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 6 years old. Despite so much sadness around her diagnosis, it also connected us to the amazing community at The B+ Foundation, for which we are grateful for every day. They were able to support us in so many ways, including paying our mortgage for a month while we both had to take a leave of absence from work, creating a community Riley could connect with and providing us with emotional support through the duration of her treatment and beyond. We are forever indebted to The B+ Foundation for all they have done to support kids with cancer and their family. A thank you to glassybaby: Thank you so much for sponsoring such an unbelievable foundation. Because of your help, they are able to continue to assist families like ours, who are undergoing what others might deem impossible both financially and emotionally. We are so grateful for your continued support."? ? September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and each week, we are highlighting a different child and family that The B+ Foundation has partnered with to support and help 'stay gold'. In 2024 half of all glassybaby foundation giving will go to The B+ Foundation to support children and their families battling cancer. From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely thank glassybaby supporters for giving back to children like Riley. https://lnkd.in/g_ThbfkP #glassybaby #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth #glassybabygives

DOCTOR’S NOTES ?? Last week, we talked about the effects childhood cancer treatments can have on a child’s cognition. What can schools do to help? Public school students whose academic performance is impacted may be eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a federal law supporting students by providing specialized instruction to support their academic success in the general or special education setting. If a student does not qualify for an IEP, but still qualifies for academic accommodations as a student with a disability, they may be eligible for a 504 Plan which modifies education in the general education setting. ? Accommodations could include: deadline extensions, alternative assignments (e.g. if it is harder for the student to write, perhaps they could respond verbally or vice versa), classmate to share notes and collect assignments when student is not in school, check ins with the school psychologist and/or school counselor, permission to visit the school nurse when needed, extra time on tests and assignments, extra time to process questions and come up with answers, guided notes, teachers check for understanding, elevator pass, permission to wear a hat in school, permission to drink water in class as treatment can cause dehydration, physical education class modifications or excusal, parking spot close to the school building, extra time and/or support transitioning between classes. ? A survey of families connected to The B+ Foundation found that 3.2% of patients had an IEP or 504 Plan before their diagnosis and 69% had an IEP or 504 Plan after being diagnosed with cancer. ?? A B+ Hero parent shared, “Leah received a 504 Plan after diagnosis for extended time. This became an additional challenge to find the time at home to complete the assignments. There were some nights Leah was up very late as a 4th grader completing homework and other times we told her she couldn’t complete it all and had to go to bed. It might be better to reduce workload rather than provide more time.” Jeremy T., parent — The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation offers a *free* eBook to help families share information about their child’s needs and to help schools better support students diagnosed with cancer. The *free* eBook can be found at https://bit.ly/4dk6ZgO