Help Fill A Dream

Our Story

Registered Charity No. 11895 5830 RR0001

The Help Fill A Dream Foundation of Canada has granted several hundred dreams for children under the age of 19 with life-threatening illnesses. Dreams range from trips to Disneyland (our most popular request) to purchasing computers to help with school work. The Foundation also provides financial aid to families to ease the burden created by reduced incomes, medical expenses, and other drains on family resources.

Referrals are made by hospital social workers and the general public. Applications are supported by a medical letter outlining the child's needs. The Foundation’s Board of Directors votes on the nature and extent of assistance.

Dreams are Forever

We do our best to fulfill the dreams that children request. It provides a lasting memory and rewarding experience for the entire family to share. Our intention is to replace frustration and despair with hope, which is so essential to fighting disease and disability.

By volunteering or making a donation you can help make a dream come true.

We depend on volunteers and need your time and your donations to make these dreams possible. Happiness comes from knowing that you have made a positive difference to a child and family. Sadness is in realizing there are many more children with dreams who need our help.

Providing financial aid during a crisis

While Help Fill A Dream provides dreams to children who have a life-threatening illness and their families, the Foundation is also instrumental in helping these families cope with sudden financial crisis that often accompanies a serious medical diagnosis. Upon hearing about their child's illness, many families are catapulted into shock and disbelief. On top of the emotional upheaval and worry of having a seriously ill child, parents are often expected to accompany their child to BC Children's Hospital for confirmation of diagnoses or for further tests or treatments. This means:

  • Parents need to take time off work, thereby incurring financial losses.
  • Parents need money to travel for gas, ferry passage, food, and accommodation.
  • Parents need money for ambulance fees, start up medicines, and special equipment, which are all costly endeavours.
  • Parents need emotional support.

Help Fill A Dream provides financial assistance to these families through special emergency funding, prepaid Safeway Food Cards, Thrifty Foods Gift Certificates, BC Ferries Gift Certificates and special allowances for equipment or medical supplies. Help Fill A Dream provides families with prepaid long distance phone cards that allow them to be away from home with their ill child but to keep in touch with the other children and extended family members who anxiously await medical updates.

Help Fill A Dream supports pediatric families through partnerships with families, through partnerships with communities, and through partnerships with pediatric social workers. The result is that pediatric social workers are better able to provide the necessary emotional and practical support for families in need because - Help Fill A Dream works hand in hand with our community partners to make a difference!