The Valentine Project has teamed up with Jen Reviews to provide more information about face masks.  Face masks are critical for children dealing with pediatric cancer or chronic illness. The Valentine Project provides free masks for children and their families and Jen Reviews provides valuable information on how to make masks.

“How society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity.” -Ambassador Matthew Rycroft

At The Valentine Project, we understand that when a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, the entire family’s life is turned upside down. Suddenly, the standard trappings of childhood— trips to the park, playdates with friends, attending school— may be pushed aside by the stress of trips to the hospital, the boredom and anxiety of time spent in doctor’s office waiting rooms, and the acute loneliness of social isolation due to a weakened immune system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a scary time for all of us. It is hard to find someone whose life has not been touched by the coronavirus, whether through infection, loss of a loved one, job loss, or even just being “stuck at home” due to shelter in place orders. Imagine dealing with the pandemic on
top of all the challenges that families affected by serious childhood illness already face. Imagine being told that if your child became infected with COVID-19, they would not survive due to their vulnerable health. For many of the families The Valentine Project serves, there is no need to imagine—this is their harsh reality.

Staying at home is tedious for some and depressing for many. We miss coffee dates with friends, playing sports with teammates, even seeing coworkers we may have never realized were so important to our daily wellbeing. Many of the families The Valentine Project serves do not have the option of being “bored at home.” They cannot afford to take a break from lifesaving, essential medical treatments for their children, so they are forced to face the hotbeds of COVID-19 contagion: hospitals and doctors’
offices.

At The Valentine Project, we seek to arm children who are fighting cancer or chronic illness with a weapon that is backed by scientific evidence: a face mask. Research shows that wearing a face mask can slow the transmission of the coronavirus. You can help shield these brave and vulnerable children by participating in our Wear One —>Share One program and helping to spread love, not germs. First, purchase a mask for yourself, so that you will not spread infection to others— this is important
because even people with no symptoms can spread the virus. Then, The Valentine Project will donate a mask on your behalf to children and families affected by cancer or chronic illness.Together, we can work to keep the most vulnerable among us safe. In times of uncertainty, our common humanity, revealed in how we treat the most vulnerable among us will keep us grounded. Participate in caring for the most vulnerable by buying a mask today. Your financial support allows The Valentine Project to continue doing our small part to help children and families affected by cancer or chronic illness.

For those who are able to sew, please join our Marvelous Masks Makers program.  You can be creative with the patterns of material you use to make fun and colorful masks for the children we serve.  For information and patterns for masks making, please go to Jen Reviews (https://www.jenreviews.com/)    Just look at Annie wearing her Batman mask that fits her perfectly, and was made with love by one of our Marvelous Masks Makers.