International Day of Families

An entire family's life changes the moment a child is diagnosed with a serious illness. It affects the parents, siblings, caregivers, neighbors, and whole communities.

May 15 is International Day of Families; a day dedicated to raising awareness about the many issues relating to and affecting families, including healthcare, education, violence, discrimination, and gender inequality. 

Starlight sees this day as an opportunity to highlight why our mission is to deliver happiness to seriously ill kids and their families. When a child is sick, it impacts the people around them like parents, siblings, grandparents, and others. 

Parents and/or guardians have to take time off work to drive their child to appointments or spend time with them at the hospital. If they have other children, they have to manage their time between being there for their sick child and trying to maintain their other children’s normal routines.  

Their siblings’ lives can feel so different; they don’t have their brother or sister at home to play with all the time, their parents may be missing out on sporting and/or school events, and they are dealing with the overall worries of their sibling being sick.  

Starlight programs were designed with the whole family in mind. From Starlight Gaming that offers sick kids and their siblings a way to bond to Starlight Deliveries that can provide parents with easier access to toys, books, and arts & crafts for all their kids (especially during the holidays!), we want to be there for when these families need it the most. And, you can be too.  

Today, and every day, you can be there for these families during their hardest times by becoming a Starlight Shining Star today.