Stronger
Than Cancer
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What we do
Our mission is to provide an iPad, Otter Box, and iTunes card for every child in active treatment battling cancer at South Bend Memorial. An iPad is both educational and entertaining. It also provides children with an opportunity to FaceTime during long hospital visits and when their counts are too low to physically visit with other friends and family. It is unfortunate that hospitals even have to have a Pediatric Oncology unit; however, if there has to be one, we feel we should make it as fun and easy as possible–and iPads are just the way to do it.
Our Progress
Number of iPads given
The start of iCaleb&Co
At a young 17 months of age, Caleb Hoppe, a twin, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His treatments would take three years and eight months. Caleb is currently in remission, but early on at the start of treatments, Caleb’s family quickly saw the huge benefits to having an iPad. They were great for long hospital stays, spinal taps and keeping in touch with family via FaceTime since Caleb’s immune system was sometimes too at risk for visits. Caleb’s Family was so grateful for their iPad. Then they had a thought: What if every child in their pediatric oncology unit had one? In the midst of their ALL battle, iCaleb&Co was born.
Hospitals we serve
Beacon Children's Hospital
Beacon Children’s Hospital is the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital. We welcome and treat children from 29 referral hospitals throughout southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana.
Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital
Leukemia Stats
1 out of 3
Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens, accounting for about 1 out of 3 cancers. Overall, however, childhood leukemia is a rare disease.
3 out of 4
About 3 out of 4 leukemias among children and teens are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Most of the remaining cases are acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Chronic leukemias are rare in children.
2 and 4 years
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is most common in early childhood, peaking between 2 and 4 years of age. Cases of AML are more spread out across the childhood years, but it is slightly more common during the first 2 years of life and during the teenage years.
About ALL
ALL is slightly more common among white children than among African-American and Asian-American children, and it is more common in boys than in girls. AML occurs about equally among boys and girls of all races