Resources

General Information

Child Safety Seat Occupant Identification Program
Minnesota Home Care Bill of Rights – English (PDF)
Minnesota Home Care Bill of Rights – Hmong (PDF)
Minnesota Home Care Bill of Rights – Somali (PDF)
Minnesota Home Care Bill of Rights – Spanish (PDF)
MinnesotaHelp.info: Resource database offering information on a wide range of community services, including pediatric services.
Got Transition: Resources to improve transition from pediatric to adult health care through the use of new and innovative strategies for health professionals and youth and families.

Assistance

Angel Foundation: Financial assistance, education and support for families on a cancer journey.
Blair’s Tree of Hope: Help for families of children who have been hospitalized with a life threatening illness due to pediatric cancer, pediatric bone marrow transplant or pediatric blood disorder.
Colleges Online: Though the price of obtaining a postsecondary education can be steep, a college degree should be accessible to everyone. To offset costs, many seek alternative sources of funding, including grants, loans and scholarships. Students with disabilities who are entering college will find that there are selective scholarship opportunities for which they may apply that can help pay for school.
Eden’s Garden: Support and resources to local NICUs and families going through a similar journey.
Fiona’s Hope Totes: Tote bag care packages that inspire hope and provide families with the comfort of home.
Fund It Forward: Financial assistance for families in need of medical or adaptive equipment for their children.
Go Grad: Scholarships, support resources and expert insight for achieving an advanced degree for students with disabilities.
MonkeyGeek: A guide on how to get scholarships and grants for students with disabilities.
MonkeyGeek: Resources and funding strategies for making homes accessible.
Open Arms of Minnesota: Nonprofit organization in Minnesota that cooks and delivers free meals tailored to meet the nutrition needs of individuals living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, MS, and ALS.
The Parker Lee Project: Resources for families with medically dependent and special needs children, and help in obtaining medical supplies, equipment, education and emotional and financial support.
Pinky Swear: Basic needs support and unique family programs for children with cancer and their families.
Spare Key: Provides financial assistance by paying one month’s mortgage for families with a child in the hospital.
United Healthcare Children’s Foundation: Provides medical grants to help children gain access to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their parents’ commercial health insurance plan.

College Education

Affordable Colleges Online: With the advances of adaptive technologies and trend toward progressive legislation, prospective college students with disabilities now have countless resources available to make their transition to postsecondary education less stressful. Above, find specific information and resources on a variety of different disabilities, learn how to make the transition into the workforce easier, and find out what your legal rights on campus are.

Disease Specific

American Cancer Society: Resources to help people stay and get well, find cures and fight back against cancer.
Be The Match: Manages the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world; operated by National Marrow Donor Program.
Cancer-Clinical Trials: Information about National Cancer Institute trials, programs and initiatives.
Cerebral Palsy Guide: Cerebral Palsy Guide proposes focused solutions and resources for families and children affected by Cerebral Palsy across the United States and abroad.
Cerebral Palsy Guidance: Cerebral Palsy Guidance was created to provide answers and assistance to parents of a child with cerebral palsy. Our goal is to reach as many members of the cerebral palsy community as possible, building up a network of support, as well as providing necessary assistance.
Children’s Cancer Research Fund: Information for parents about survivorship, research and cures, along with opportunity to contribute.
CureSearch for Children’s Cancer: Leader in funding children’s cancer research to accelerate a cure.
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Resources, support and advocacy to cure cystic fibrosis and help people with the disease lead full lives.
Cystic Life: Information and educational videos, reading materials and links for the cystic fibrosis community.
Lasting Imprint: Nonprofit committed to fighting congenital heart defects and creating supportive community through education, research and assistance.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Voluntary nonprofit organization that provides education and patient services and funding blood cancer research.
Monkey in My Chair: Beneficial program to help cancer patients stay connected to their classmates.
Muscular Dystrophy Association: Support, advocacy and resources from the world’s leading nonprofit dedicated to finding treatments and cures for MD, ALS and other neuromuscular diseases.
MN Spina Bifida Association: Voluntary nonprofit to increase spina bifida awareness and enhance lives of those affected.
National Cancer Institute: Website designed to help patients learn about different forms of cancer and research for cancer treatment.
Parents for Heart: Mutual support and education for parents of children with cardiovascular disease.
Pediatric Oncology Resource Center: Resources for parents, friends and families of children who have or had childhood cancer.
ZocDoc: Online site where you can find oncology doctors in your insurance network, book appointments and read doctor reviews.

Fun/Sports/Camps

Camp Erin: Network of free bereavement camps for children and teens grieving a significant loss.
Camp Odayin: Fun, safe and supporting experiences and community building for young people with heart disease and their families.
Hope Kids: Hope Kids provides ongoing events and activities and a powerful, unique support community for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions.
iCAN hoop: Gives children with disabilities the opportunity to play basketball.
Joshua’s Camp: Provides camp experience for doctor-referred families who have a child being treated for cancer.
Miracle League: Charitable organization that gives children with challenges the chance to play baseball -a national organization with multiple chapters throughout Minnesota.
SuperSibs: Tools to help siblings and resources for parents during and after their family’s battle against childhood cancer.
True Friends: Camp experiences for children and adults with disabilities.
Youth Rally: Five-night camp for kids and teens living with conditions of bowel and/or bladder.
LifeStriders: Provides life-enhancing, physical and psychological experiences and services to individuals with special needs through Equine-Assisted Therapy.
Koos for Kids: Organizes baseball league where children with special needs can be part of a team and learn baseball.
Miracle League Milwaukee: Charitable organization that gives children with challenges the chance to play baseball.
Team Up! With Families: Provides a typical day camp experience for children with special needs in an active outdoor environment.
Zachariah's Acres: A place where kids with special needs and their families can enjoy nature and experience the outdoors

Nutrition/Feeding

Mealtime Notions: Information for patients/families interested in Home Blenderized Formula. A book resource is also available for purchase through this website titled Homemade Blended Formula Handbook.
The Oley Foundation: Education, outreach and networking resource for those requiring home intravenous and tube feeding.
Tubie Friends: Parent-created, nonprofit site features stuffed friends with medical equipment that educate, comfort and take the fear out of feeding tubes.
Tubesies Feeding Tube Friendly Bodysuit: Tubesie is a Feeding Tube friendly bodysuit designed to allow clean and easy access to a child’s G-tube.

Respiratory

Aaron’s Tracheostomy Site: Parent-created site specifically for tracheostomy patients.

Support

Crescent Cove: Hospice/respite care and support in family-focused environment for children and young adults with shortened life expectancy, and their families.
Cystic Life: Information and educational videos, reading materials and links for the cystic fibrosis community.
Family Voices: Minnesota resource for the latest information on what is happening in health care and how it affects you and your family.
Faith’s Lodge: Retreat for families coping with the serious illness or death of a child.
Gilda’s Club: Clubhouses providing social, emotional and psychological support for those living with cancer.
Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners: Programs that provide direct assistance and connect people with opportunities and resources.
KidsCan Minnesota: Created by and providing support for families touched by childhood cancer.
Momcology Facebook: Medical-social support network and information center for mothers and primary caregivers of children with cancer.
Mommies of Miracles: World’s largest virtual support group for mothers of children with medical complexities, life-limiting conditions or developmental disabilities.
PACER Center: Twin Cities resource group for people with disabilities and their families.
Parents for Heart: Mutual support and education for parents of children with cardiovascular disease.
Prenatal Partners for Life: Support and resources for coping with an adverse prenatal diagnosis and raising a child with special needs.
Ronald McDonald House Upper Midwest: Provides home away from home to keep families together during a child’s health crisis.
Second Chance for Life Foundation: The Second Chance for Life Foundation is a heart transplant/LVAD/mechanical heart support group.
Songs of Love: Free, personalized, uplifting songs for children and teens facing tough medical, physical or emotional challenges.
Speak Up (PDF): Brochure with tips and answers to questions to help you ask the right questions and be actively involved in your child’s care.
The Truth 365: Award-winning documentary film and social media campaign that gives a voice to all children fighting cancer.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin: Provides home away from home to keep families together during a child’s health crisis.
Variety Children's Charity of Wisconsin: Providing life-enriching assistance to Wisconsin children challenged by physical disabilities.

Traveling with Equipment and Oxygen

Advanced Aeromedical: Provides oxygen for airport layovers, hotel stays, cruise ships and motor tours.
Angel Flight Central: Arranges charitable flights for health care or other humanitarian purposes.
Breathin Easy: Provides location of providers of oxygen for travelers.
Medical Travel, Inc.: A full service medical travel agency.
Miracle Flights for Kids: Helps fly children with cancers and other debilitating diseases to specialized treatment centers across the U.S.
Special Needs Group: Provider of special needs mobility equipment and oxygen in the travel industry; provides support to more than 135 cities in over 30 countries.

Wishes

Dream Factory: Grants dreams to critically and chronically ill children from ages three through eighteen.
Hunt of a Lifetime: Arranges and pays for dream hunting and fishing for boys and girls with a life-threatening illness.
Make a Wish MN: Grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Shot for Hope: Family-oriented outdoor sports activities for children with a life-threatening illness or life-altering disease and their families.
Special Spaces: Creates dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Sunshine Foundation: Makes dreams come true for children of income-limited families living with a chronic illness, physical challenge or suffering from trauma of abuse.
United Special Sportsman Alliance, Inc., (USSA): Wish-granting charity specializing in sending critically ill and disabled youth and disabled veterans on a dream outdoor adventure.
Wishes & More: MN-based charity that enhances lives of children with terminal and life-threatening illnesses by providing wishes, scholarships, memorials and more.

Other

Adaptive Sports Equipment: Find adaptive equipment for various sports for sale.
Help Me Grow: Free services and support to help eligible MN children learn and grow.
Icing Smiles: Provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child.
Keeping Your Home Through a Debilitating Disease: Resource guide to give people with chronic and debilitating diseases information to help them keep their homes as they seek and receive treatment.
Care + Wear: By incorporating fashion and innovation into healthwear solutions, Care + Wear strives to improve patient comfort and satisfaction, while streamlining the treatment process for clinicians.
Kozie Clothes: Adorable, high quality, non-stigmatizing apparel designed especially for infants and children with special medical, sensory and dressing needs.
Medi-Monsters: Free comforting security “monsters” to help chronically ill children and children fighting cancer.
Care A Line: Sleeves and wraps to hold IV lines in place while still allowing access to them for infusions.