Time in the hospital means time away from school, friends and the life they knew. It becomes critical for these teens, who are facing the battle of their lives, to maintain a sense of connection to their family, friends, and lifestyle in order to battle their treatments with a solid frame of mind, courage, and determination.
Our Teen Kit Program is designed to support hospitalized teens, ages 13 and older, who are treated for cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. The backpack contains items that are useful and fun to meet their unique needs while in the hospital, or at home.
Our dedicated volunteers help assemble Teen Kits and handcraft Bandana Pillows for over 2,000 teenagers across the country every year! Since 2005, over 22,000 hospitalized teens and young adults have received one of these Teen 'Welcome' Kits!
New Teen 'Welcome' Kit Backpack & Bandana Pillow for 2023!
Teen Kits include:
- Custom Nylon Victorious Backpack
- Custom Bandana Pillow
- What are you "Stronger Than"? T-shirt
- Writing Journal or Book
- Focus Flashlight Pen
- Arts & Craft Kit
- Lip Balm
- Socks
- Card Games
- Fidget Novelties or Hand-held Games
* Exact items in each Teen Kit are subject to availability. All items are brand new and Bandana Pillow is plastic wrapped.
Interested in helping support our Teen Kit program? Find out more about Hosting a Teen Kit Drive!
If you were one of the courageous teens that received a Teen Kit and Bandana Pillow, we hope it put a smile on your face! We would love to hear from you! Share your story and/or take this quick survey to let us know what you liked and would like to see in future Teen Kits to help other teens just like you!
Are you or someone you know a brave teen being treated for cancer or life-threatening illness and would like to receive one of our Teen Kits & Bandana Pillows? Email us at [email protected] with a subject line "Teen Kit Request."
If you are a Child Life Specialist or Hospital Development Officer with questions on how to get Teen Kits and Bandana Pillows to your hospital, please email us at [email protected]!
Here are the current locations receiving shipments of our Teen Kits and Bandana Pillows! So if you or someone you know is being treated at one of these locations, ask the Child Life team for a Teen Kit and Bandana Pillow!
- American Family Children's Hospital - Madison, WI
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago - Chicago, IL
- Arkansas Children's Hospital - Little Rock, AR
- Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center - Medford, OR
- Baptist Health -Miami, FL
- Beacon Children's Hospital -South Bend, IN
- Cardon Children's Medical Center - Mesa, AZ
- Baptist Children's Hospital, Baptist Health South Florida - Miami, FL
- BaylorScott & White, McLane Children's - Temple, TX
- Children of Bellevue, Bellevue Hospital Center - New York, NY
- Children's Hospital of Alabama - Birmingham, AL
- Children's Hospital Colorado - Aurora, CO
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Egleston - GA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Scottish Rite - GA
- Children's Hospital at Montefiore - Bronx, NY
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
- Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU -Richmond, VA
- Children's Minnesota - Minneapolis, MN
- Children's Minnesota - St. Paul, MN
- Children's Regional Hospital at Cooper - Camden, NJ
- CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital - Mission Viejo, CA
- CHOC Children's Orange County - Orange, CA
- CHOP at Virtua Voorhees, NJ
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital, College Hill - Cincinnati, OH
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Liberty - Cincinnati, OH
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center - Hartford, CT
- Cook Children's Medical Center - Fort Worth, TX
- Covenant Children's Hospital - Lubbock, TX
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute - Boston, MA
- Duke Children's Hospital - Durham, NC
- Franciscan's Children's Hospital - Brighton, MA
- Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida - Fort Myers, FL
- Harbor UCLA Medical Center - Torrance, CA
- Inova Children's Hospital - Falls Church, VA
- Inspira Behavioral Health Child Center - Bridgeton, NJ
- James and Connie Maynard Children's Hospital at VMC - Greenville, NC
- John R. Oishei Children's Hospital of Buffalo - NY
- Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center - Roseville, CA
- Kentucky Children's Hospital - Lexington, KY
- Maimonides Medical Center - Brooklyn, NY
- Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center Health - Valhalla, NY
- McLane's Children's Medical Center - Temple, TX
- Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children's Hospital of Savannah - GA
- Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach - Long Beach, CA
- MUSC Children's Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina - Charleston, SC
- Nemours Children's Hospital - Wilmington, DE
- Nemours Children's Health - Deptford, NJ
- Nicklaus Children's Hospital - Miami, FL
- Norton Children's Hospital - Louisville, KY
- OSF HealthCare, Children's Hospital of Illinois - Peoria, IL
- Phoenix Children's Hospital - Phoenix, AZ
- Saint Peter's University Hospital - New Brunswick, NJ
- Salah Foundation Children's Hospital - Coral Springs, FL
- Salah Foundation Children's Hospital - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Sanford Health Children's Hospital - Fargo, ND
- Sanford Health Children's Hospital - Sioux Falls, SD
- St. Christopher's Hospital for Children - Philadelphia, PA
- St. Luke's Children's Hospital - Boise, ID
- St. Mary's Hospital for Children - Bayside, NY
- Studer Family Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart - Pensacola, FL
- UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital - Oakland, CA
- UF Health Shands Children's Hospital - Gainesville, FL
- University Health System - San Antonio TX
- University of Chicago Medicine, Comer Children's Hospital - Chicago, IL
- UNC Children's Hospital - Chapel Hill, NC
- Virtua Health & Wellness Center - Camden, NJ
- Virtua Mount Holly Hospital - NJ
- Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Hospital - Marlton, NJ
"…the kit was a Godsend. Please keep providing these spirit-lifting gifts – they mean so much to the teens receiving them.” - Parent of a hospitalized teen
"Thank you for the bag of treats that the Child Life Staff brought me while staying in the hospital. These gifts brightened my day and were able to make me smile.” - Chandler – Teen patient at Dell Children’s Hospital
"Thank you for your Teen Kit & Bandana Pillow. I received it today during my inpatient stay at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Thank you so much for what you are doing <3" - Karolina –Teenage patient
“The kits are perfect! They now have everything they need to make them more comfortable during their hospital stay." - Child Life Specialist, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson
“WOW! This was a wonderful surprise for my 15-year-old son Scott, who has metastatic Ewing’s Sarcoma. He has gone through so much for the last 6 months and was in a 5-day chemo treatment when your gifts came. Don’t change a thing! Thank you for the smiles!!” - Judy from Madison, Wisconsin
“Our teens benefit so much from these programs and we simply couldn’t offer them without support from friends like ARVF."- Associate Vice President, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
"I have to tell you, I gave Dan that pillow to rest his head on, and he eventually did lie down. He finally relaxed and fell asleep during the rest of the four hour treatment. That pillow was an amazing gift from an angel! Thank you so much for creating these pillows for teens." - Parent of a hospitalized teen
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