Thank you for visiting the Northwestern Mutual San Jose Office’s fundraising page dedicated to Starlight Children’s Foundation! Through this page, we are participating in Northwestern Mutual’s national philanthropic campaign to offer support for families facing the struggles of childhood cancer and accelerate finding a cure for this disease. Our goal is to raise funds to place two Starlight Fun Centers at Santa Clara Kaiser.

The Starlight Fun Center is a mobile entertainment unit featuring a Nintendo Wii™ (specially customized for hospital use) and an LCD flat panel television and DVD player. Fun Centers roll right up to the side of young patients’ beds or anywhere in a hospital setting, making them perfect for hospitalized children in numerous situations: undergoing chemotherapy treatments, anticipating surgery, or fighting loneliness after visiting hours have ended. Fun Centers bring needed fun and distraction from medical treatments, which is proven to lessen the need for pain medication.

16 year Michelle can tell you the true power of the Fun Center:

When I was in the hospital, the bleak white walls were intimidating. As a kid, it takes cards and stuffed animals and drawings to make that sort of setting feel like home. But no matter how decorated the room is, behind it all is the beeping IV, the cramped restrooms, the creaky beds, and the gross medication. The only time I felt like a normal kid was when the nurses brought the Fun Center into my room. I would spend hours practicing my skills. It was quite fulfilling to be able to beat my siblings at a game of Mario Kart despite having an IV in my arm. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you simply forget that you are sick. It’s this imaginary wall that appears- it tells you to have fun; be a normal kid for a few moments. You forget the pain, you tune out the beeps, you get lost in your own world, whether it be in a car with Mario, on a snowboard in the Rockies, or on a jet ski in Hawaii. The Fun Center gave me an opportunity to forget where I was and feel normal again.

ABOUT STARLIGHT: Starlight is a leading global health and education charity working to embrace, empower and enrich the lives of children from illness to wellness. Since 1983, Starlight has invested in the emotional health of children with serious medical conditions, including pediatric cancer. They design programs that help the entire family cope with the experiences of prolonged illness in order to improve the health outcomes of children. Each year Starlight enriches the lives of more than 4.5 million children globally by providing ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and every province in Canada, and is a leading children’s charity in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Remember that donating through this FirstGiving website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support Northwestern Mutual’s fundraising efforts. Help us place Fun Centers where they’re needed most and donate today. Together, we can continue to connect seriously ill kids with a community that embraces them today, tomorrow and as long as we are needed.

Many thanks for supporting Northwestern Mutual’s philanthropic program to support families in need!