Northern
B.C. Friends of Children Society is a non-profit organization that
assists families with children in extraordinary medical need. We
assist in three ways:
- providing resource information and emotional support
- coordinating efforts with other organizations and service providers
- offering assistance grants for emergency medical needs
Our inception was based primarily from the experience of a Prince
George family with a child in medical need. In the Spring of
1993, Diego Carpino was born prematurely with an extremely complicated,
life-threatening illness. During the next three years that followed,
Diego was transferred from hospital to hospital across Canada and the
United States in an effort to provide his necessary medical treatment.
It was eventually determined through these visits that a life-saving
surgery was required in the United States, which could not be covered
by B.C. Medical Services. Due to overwhelming community support,
the “Baby Diego Campaign” was initiated in 1995 and successfully
raised over $100,000 for Diego’s surgery. As a result of this
successful campaign, which gained national awareness due to the nature
of Diego’s condition, it was determined that a support system
for families and children in need was necessary. The Society emerged
in 1997 as a result of the “Baby Diego Campaign”.
On January 29, 1998, Friends of Children was formed with the purpose
of assisting northern British Columbia families with children in extraordinary
medical need. Northern B.C. Friends of Children is directed by a nine-member
volunteer Board of Directors, a seven-member disbursement committee,
and a 12-member fundraising committee. Our geographic region
covers British Columbia’s northern communities, with its territory
ranging from Williams Lake, north to the BC/Yukon border. We also serve the East Kootenays.
The Society's Mission Statement is
- To assist families living in northern British Columbia who are unable to meet exceptional medical costs related to the needs of their child (up to 19 years of age).
- To assist families with non-medical costs arising as a direct result of their child's medical condition, including travel and accommodation.
- To assist as a coordinator amongst other organizations and service clubs.
- To provide information surrounding resources and types of support that may be available to assist a family's needs.
Friends of Children is NOT limited to one specific diagnosis. Instead, it considers the demand an ailment places on the family when providing information, resources, financial links, or financial assistance to families.
