We believe all children facing a parent's cancer deserve the chance to fully experience the joys of childhood and be their best selves.
Passionate college students lead our community. Working alongside alumni and supporters, they create experiences and connections where these children can process, connect, heal, and thrive.
For many of the children and our volunteers, Kesem is a life-changing experience that spans far beyond a week at summer camp. It fosters bonds and understanding that builds resilience, confidence, and lasting feelings of hope and joy. That's the magic of Kesem.
Today, more than 5 million children are impacted by a parent’s cancer in the United States. ¹These children can experience increased anxiety, emotional isolation, loss of social interest, and feelings of hopelessness, among other things.
While many programs, services, and communities support those coping with their own cancer diagnosis, these children often lack the resources, spaces, or peer-to-peer support tailored to help address their needs and experiences.
¹Source: Center for Disease Control and American Cancer Society data analyzed by Decision Resources Group.
We work to ensure that every child affected by a parent’s cancer is never alone.
In our community, thousands of children facing the challenges of a parent’s cancer can escape the sadness and isolation that cancer creates and connect with peers who understand and are able to provide comfort and support.
We create experiences and a lasting community to support children through and beyond their parent’s cancer. Across the country, we are reaching more children and families impacted by cancer every year.
Our unique student leader model sustains successful delivery of our flagship program, Camp Kesem, and other fun, creative, and inclusive year-round programs and services.
We welcome children coping
with a parent's cancer into a supportive community where
they find caring volunteers, exemplary role models in our college student leaders, and friends that they can relate to.
This new environment leads
to more positive outcomes for them, including:
Improved self-esteem
Enhanced coping skills
Increased self-confidence
Stronger emotional intelligence
A cancer diagnosis turns everyone’s world into a tailspin. Fortunately, there are ways to help children cope with cancer's emotional, psychological, and social impact.
As we build our team ahead of the runDisney races, we can’t help but admire the incredible stories of our Team Kesem participants.
One thing is for sure—there is nothing quite like the positive impact that a summer of Camp Kesem leaves on every member of our community.
As we kick off this year’s cycle of national event galas, we want to highlight the special moments we saw during the Magic Ball Boston and Magic Ball Chicago.
As we prepare for our first summer back to in-person camp in 2 years, we’re doing a deep dive into the why behind some of the new things you will see!
We're excited to launch a permanent collection of Kesem stories for our community to share.
