How We Help

All of the families helped by the Unforgettables Fund are under supervision through CHEO's palliative care team, or at Rogers House, a child hospice located on the CHEO campus. An application is made to The Unforgettables Fund administrator on behalf of the families through a CHEO social worker so that families are able to spend time with their child at the end of his or her life. Eligibility criteria include the family's financial capacity and the qualification of the child's death through a life-limiting illness.

Some expenses that might be covered by TUF include direct and indirect costs for burial and/or ceremony, airfare costs for family (grandparents, parents) to attend a funeral, and costs associated with burying a child within their faith. Expenses are capped at $2,500 per family, and all decisions are made through the Unforgettables Fund administrator.

In particular, the fund aims to help those families often categorized as the working poor: while one or both family members may have had jobs, the overwhelming burden of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness has affected their ability to earn an income and, in many cases, left them financially crippled. These families often don't qualify for traditional forms of social assistance because they are not eligible for government-subsidized programs.

The Unforgettables Fund believes that every child is entitled to a dignified funeral. By taking away a huge financial worry, The Unforgettables Fund aims to help families stay focused on what is important to them: spending time with their child at end-of-life.