Camps
Camp is one of the most powerful gifts you can give a child with chronic illness — a place to just be a kid. These organizations provide life-changing camp experiences for children with serious health conditions.
External Resources
Resources for Families of Kids with Chronic Conditions
Below you'll find a curated collection of links to organizations, camps, funding programs, and assistance networks that support children with chronic illness and their families. We are always looking for new ways to connect our community with the resources they need.
Medical Info
Disease organizations, advocacy groups, and condition-specific resources.
- American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)
- Arthritis Foundation’s Kids Get Arthritis Too
- Autoinflammatory Alliance
- Check Orphan — rare, orphan, and neglected diseases
- Cure JM
- Global Genes: Allies in Rare Diseases
- Immune Deficiency Foundation
- Jeffrey Modell Foundation
- International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis (IFAA)
- NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center
- National Organization for Rare Disorders
- Systemic JIA Foundation
- The Coalition Against Pediatric Pain (TCAPP)
Funding for Medications
Managing the cost of medications for a child with chronic illness can be overwhelming. These programs exist to help.
Co-Pay Assistance
Many drug manufacturers provide co-pay assistance cards that help offset the cost of medications, sometimes covering the entire co-payment for qualifying patients. Contact the maker of your child's medication to ask if you qualify.
- The Assistance Fund — copays shouldn’t interfere with your life. The Assistance Fund works every day to give patients access to the medications they need.
Coping Kits
What's In A Coping Kit?
Every kit gives a child tools to name what they're feeling, calm their body, and feel brave through medical care — built alongside nurses, child life specialists, and families who live this every day.
Three Kits, Built For Where Your Child Is
Every kit shares the same core tools. What changes is how a child communicates how they feel:
- Baby/Toddler Coping Kit (white bag) — Simple feeling pictures for the youngest children to point to.
- Young Child Coping Kit (purple bag) — A Feeling Wheel, plus a Purple Power Cape for brave appointments.
- School Age Coping Kit (black bag) — A Feeling Stop/Go Door Sign and a fidget spinner for self-regulation.
Travel Assistance
When getting to care means traveling far from home, these organizations provide charitable air transportation and lodging assistance for families facing long-distance medical needs.
- Air Charity Network
- Chai Lifeline — Hospital and Home-Based Services — 877-242-4543
- Corporate Angel Network
- Little Star Foundation — 800-543-6565
- Mercy Medical Airlifts
- National Patient Travel Helpline — 1-800-296-1217
- Ronald McDonald House
- Miracle Flights — financial assistance for low-income children needing commercial air travel to obtain specialized medical care
Wish Granters
Every child deserves a moment of pure joy. These organizations work to make that possible for children living with serious illness.
Together, We Show Up For Kids Who Need It Most.
Our support helps Purple Playas Foundation continue connecting families with the care, resources, and community they deserve.