Supported by the Sunrise Fund, which was started at Stony Brook to raise awareness of childhood cancer and to fund specific programs, these services help children and families deal with many of issues around cancer and its treatment.
The Dan Brooks Memorial Educational Award for Students With Cancer
Open to all graduates of the Pediatric Oncology Program at Stony Brook Children's, this award helps with higher education costs, such as college or post-high school vocational training. It was established in memory of Dan Brooks, a young man who completed treatment for leukemia at Stony Brook but later died in an automobile accident. Inspired by his experience with childhood cancer, Dan went on to obtain his degree in special education so he could help children facing challenges and this award reflects his dedication to education. Stony Brook has received many accolades for this one-of-a-kind program as it gives EVERY child who graduates from the Stony Brook pediatric cancer program a small monetary award (approximately $500 to $1,000) designated for the child's post-high school education. It is given annually through four years of college and in a typical school year, the department may help support 20 to 25 students.
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Living in Love
Through palliative, end-of-life, and bereavement care, this program is designed to minimize the physical, emotional, and psychological pain and suffering of children diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders and their families. The interdisciplinary program promotes quality of life by providing supportive care services to these children and their families. The care is comprehensive, compassionate, and sensitive to cultural and spiritual diversity. Services can include medicine, nursing, child life, chaplaincy, psychology, social work, language interpretation, nutrition, and pain management. Bereavement support includes personalized memory boxes, memorial bricks for placement in Babies and Children’s Memorial Garden, “A Children’s Remembrance” ceremony, and parent/family workshops. In addition, Living in Love team members participate in research and education, provide educational programs, and facilitate support services for staff.
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Our Little Heroes
This support networks provides education, counseling, and emotional support to families and children diagnoses with cancer.
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The Pediatric Neuro Oncology Team
The Pediatric Neuro Oncology Team (PNOT) is a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals developed to offer advanced diagnostic, therapeutic, and supportive care to children diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumors—maximizing both the opportunity for cure and the best possible quality of life.
Play Fit, Stay Fit.
In conjunction with physical therapists (PTs) from Stony Brook's School of Physical Therapy, this 8-week comprehensive wellness program addresses, in a supportive environment, the physical deficits that arise as an indirect or direct result of cancer or chronic blood disorders. It provides age- and patient- appropriate games and exercise to help children return as fully as possible to their lives. Promoting activity is also important because studies show that childhood cancer survivors have a greater incidence of obesity—partly due to metabolic issues but mostly due to learned sedentary behavior. This program is supported by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
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Play It Forward-ACTS Program (Athletes, Courage, Teamwork and Support)
Initiated and coordinated by a Stony Brook nurse practitioner, this program links sports teams from Stony Brook University and local high schools to children in the pediatric hematology/oncology program. Its win-win approach gives Stony Brook student athletes an opportunity to serve, and children with blood disorders or cancer social support.
School Re-Entry and Intervention Program for Children with Cancer and Chronic Blood Disorders
The leading program of its kind on Long Island, Stony Brook Children's School Re-Entry and Intervention Team leads a collaborative effort to facilitate educational services for children with cancer and chronic blood disorders during and after illness. The interdisciplinary team provides faculty and classroom presentations to address the medical, psychosocial, and educational needs of the student-patient. The program works with all schools in Suffolk and Nassau Counties to return children to school in the most productive setting possible. The goal is to provide open communication between hospital, school and family and remove any obstacles that may impede a smooth transition.
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