Charity Spotlight: Bippity Boppity, Let’s Do Some Good, Introducing the Fairy Godmother Project
Photo credit: Laura Visioni
What do you do when you find out a neighbor’s child is going through pediatric cancer? You start an organization to help families who are undergoing that exact challenge.
The Fairy Godmother Project was founded by Andie Ayers and Stephanie Johnson to support families with emotional and financial needs while their child is going through pediatric cancer treatment.
The Fairy Godmother Project has 5 programs.
Family services program
Stargazers Programs
Photography Programs
Support Groups
The Healing Hope Scholarship
Though there are many programs to support the child undergoing cancer treatment, there are very few organizations that support the family’s needs. Usually a primary caregiver, like a parent may have their working hours significantly reduced to support their child’s cancer treatment. This reduction puts the family in a tough financial situation.
This is why the Fairy Godmother Project has multiple layers to support these families. One way is to assist with the everyday house chores. It can be anything from lawn care and house cleaning at no cost to these families. It’s something so simple that becomes a big item to take care of when your primary focus is on the healthcare of your child undergoing cancer treatment.
“We have trained volunteers who undergo grief counseling, who get a family assignment to be there to support their family while undergoing their cancer journey.”
Another aspect of the Fairy Godmother project is to provide families with donated photo sessions. They want to give these families a sense of normalcy in the form of family photos. They want to capture the laughter, the tender moments, the small smiles, and just a stress free moment from cancer treatments. Photos are taken anywhere from the home, an outdoor location, or hospital.
They also facilitate fun family events for the children and families, like parties and scavenger hunts.
“We have Halloween parties and try to bring some fun for their children which also allows parents and caregivers to come together and find support with each other.”
No parent wants to plan the funeral of their child. Their Stargazers Program supports the family as they face end of life for their child, support as their child goes into remission and support after the death of their child. This program allows the Fairy Godmothers to take on that burden to allow the families to mourn without financial stress.
During a child’s time in hospice the program offers financial support, home visits, and community support. They support the families in planning the celebration of life memorials, and are always there for there for grief support.
They are very active in social media and provide in memoriam support if the family chooses to do so.
The program is focused on the family. They will only go as far as the family needs them too. If the family does not want support, they respect those wishes. However, whenever they do feel inclined to need it, there is always a Fairy Godmother standing by.
