Family Support Program
If you have found your way to this web page you are most likely a parent, or the friend of a parent, of a child with a brain tumor. This is a very difficult place that you find yourself in, and we want you to know that you are not alone. At the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, we work to provide resources for families and to fund research into the causes of childhood brain tumors that will provide cures for this terrible disease.
As you travel the road to survivorship for your child, you will need to not only deal with your child's medical care, but also with your other children and your relationship with your spouse. We've prepared a series of basic booklets on childhood brain tumors to give you medical questions that you should be asking about your child's tumor and treatment, as well as basic information about the most common childhood tumors. We also have a series of Internet broadcasts with presentations on important topics of concern for parents and survivors of pediatric brain tumors. In addition, we have a social worker on staff to assist you. All of us are here for you as you make this journey.
It's essential that parents learn the basic facts about brain tumors in children and begin to ask questions about their child's brain tumor. Our booklets, which are also available in Spanish, are supplied to parents, medical and social work professionals, and educational institutions.
Pediatric Brain Tumor Booklets in English and Spanish.
- Questions to Ask Your Medical Care Team When Your Child Has a Brain or Spinal Cord Tumor
- Basic Facts About Pediatric Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
- Basic Facts About Medulloblastoma
- Basic Facts About Glioma
- Basic Facts About Astrocytoma
- Basic Facts About Juvenile Pyloctic Astrocytoma
- Basic Facts About Ependymoma
La Fundación del Tumor Cerebral Pediátrico ofrece folletos informativos en Español
- Preguntas para los Integrantes del Grupo Médico si Su Hijo Tiene un Tumor Cerebral
- Información Básica Sobre los Tumores Cerebrales y de Médula Espinal Pediátricos
- Información Básica Sobre el Meduloblastoma/TNEP (Tumor Neuroectodérmico Periférico)
- Información Básica Sobre el Astrocitoma Pilocítico Juvenil
- Información Básica Sobre el Astrocitoma
- Información Básica Sobre el Ependimoma
- Información Básica Sobre el Glioma
Order pediatric brain tumor booklets
Informed Parent and Survivor Internet Conference Series
The PBTF created this series of online broadcasts to have medical and social work professionals, parents, siblings and survivors address topics of importance to patient families. The outreach of this program is international. The broadcasts are available on this website and on CD. Order here.
Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivor Scholarship Program
When we began our fundraising efforts to support pediatric brain tumor research in 1984, very few children survived their brain tumors. It was this dreadful outcome for families that led us to start a national research funding program to help find cures for pediatric brain tumors. Today we are seeing a better prognosis for children and adolescents diagnosed with some types of brain tumors.
We launched the scholarship program for survivors in 2002 to assist families devastated by the cost of medical care to save the lives of their children. Since that time, we've awarded more than 390 scholarships for survivors to attend vocational schools, community colleges and universities across the United States.
Patient Family Support Program Manager
Each day newly diagnosed families contact us for support. In an effort to serve them, our staff includes a full-time social work professional who provides emotional and educational support. Email our Family Support Program Manager.
Ride for Kids® Celebration of Life Program
Our Ride for Kids® program, started in 1984, brings motorcyclists together with families, siblings, survivors and extended family members in their community. It has raised national awareness about the disease of pediatric brain tumors.
Each Ride for Kids® event includes a Celebration of Life program, which serves as a support group for patient families. Survivors, brothers, sisters and their parents are the guests of honor for the day and they interact with other families as we honor the survivors and those that are no longer with us. Learn more.
