Canadian Resources
If you're a Canadian resident, we encourage you to visit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada website for additional blood cancer information and resources in Canada.
Disclaimer: These resources are regularly reviewed to ensure that links still work correctly and the resources listed continue to be helpful to our visitors. If you find that a link isn't working or information is incorrect or if you'd like to have your own organization listed here, please email thedirectory@lls.org.
Because we want to be sure that our visitors find the most relevant resources, we've listed these organizations in order of relevancy from most specifically relevant to most generally relevant to the topic of this page..
Canadian Cancer Society
Contact: (888) 939-3333
Population served: Those affected by cancer
Canadian Cancer Society is a community-based organization of volunteers, whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.
- Links to webpages for each province
- Provides information about cancer diagnosis, treatment, after treatment, questions to ask the healthcare team, coping with cancer and cancer statistics
- Provides information about current cancer research
- Provides support services, peer support programs, local Society offices and help with the cost of transportation to treatment
Cancer Recovery Foundation of Canada
Contact: (866) 753-0303
Population served: Cancer patients, families and caregivers
Cancer Recovery Foundation of Canada focuses on patient services and direct care to families affected by cancer.
- Provides Children's Project, a program for children ages 7 to 18, who can receive a camp scholarship
- Offers Family Emergency Service to help with utilities, rent and/or telephone bills
- Offers a "Bearable" gift bag providing activities for pediatric patients with cancer
- Provides adult services including tote bags filled with information/supportive materials regarding cancer and information about the Family Emergency Service program
- Provides weekly telephone support groups for patients and caregivers
- Provides supportive information to help survivors and an e-Store with inspirational books for purchase
Children's Wish Foundation International, Inc. (CWFI)
Contact: (800) 323-9474
Population served: Children under age 18 with a life-threatening illness, worldwide
CWFI fulfills wishes for children and unlike other wish-granting organizations, does not have a minimum age. However, if the child's health allows it, the wish fulfillment is reserved until the child is old enough to fully enjoy and remember the experience.
- Offers Wish Fulfillment Program, which provides a trip to a destination of the patient's choice and includes travel arrangements, lodging, entertainment tickets, expense money and volunteer support
- Offers the Family Focus Program, which provides a memorable evening out. CWFI offers gift cards and certificates for families to enjoy a special dinner together or a trip to a local family entertainment center, theater tickets or entrance to sporting events, a circus, etc. In addition, CWFI arranges for weekend getaways
- Offers Hospital Enrichment Program, which places educational and entertainment materials in hospitals that care for children (toys, books, electronics, dolls and children's clothing). In addition, CWFI hosts festive parties at many hospitals
- Offers Young Minds Program for children under age 3 or whose cognitive level is under age 3. This program can offer:
- TV with DVD player and DVD collection
- CD player with music collection
- Toy and doll collection
- Comfort station with rocker
- Activity assortment
Canadian Blood Services
Contact: (888) 236-6283
Population served: Anyone who wants to donate blood or bone marrow
Canadian Blood Services manages the blood and blood products supply for Canadians.
- Provides a donor questionnaire and basic eligibility requirements for collecting blood
- Manages the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network to secure donors for bone marrow transplant patients in Canada and abroad
- Has 41 permanent collection sites as well as mobile units
- Collects blood, plasma, platelets and stem cells
CML Society of Canada
Contact: (866) 912-7575 (bilingual: English and French)
Population served: Chronic myelogenous leukemia patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals
The CML Society provides support, education and information, current and emerging treatments and research initiatives for people living with CML and their families.
- Helps patients access medical, mental health and wellness professionals
- Provides current disease/treatment information via website and newsletters
- Organizes seminars to share information from hematology/oncology conferences
- Organizes quarterly meetings for information sharing among patients/caregivers
- Provides an eDiary and a self-assessment guide
Lymphoma Foundation Canada (LFC)
Contact: (866) 659-5556
Population served: Patients with lymphoma and their support network
LFC provides education and support, funds medical research to find a cure for lymphatic cancer and advocates for the best treatment and care for lymphoma patients.
- Provides general and more specific information about non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas including causes, symptoms and information for the newly diagnosed
- Offers support groups through local chapters
- Offers information about medication reimbursement
- Offers downloadable questions to ask the physician and provides Lymphoma Newsletter
- Offers a downloadable NHL Resource Manual to track treatment and healthcare team information, provides information about disease, each subtype, staging and treatment, includes a schedule/symptom diary and journal pages
Myeloma Canada
Contact: (514) 570-9769
Population served: Patients with myeloma and their caregivers
Myeloma Canada is an organization created by, and for, people living with multiple myeloma.
- Provides educational resources and support groups
- Provides online educational publications and seminars
- Offers information about clinical trials and listings of ongoing trials divided by disease stage
- Advocacy
International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF)
Contact: (416) 621-7864 (Canada)
Population served: People diagnosed with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM)
IWMF provides disease information, support to patients and their families and increases awareness of the issues related to WM. Encourages membership into the organization through any size donation.
- Offers a quarterly publication for members (IWMF Torch)
- Offers support groups
- Offers patient-to-patient telephone support
- Provides educational materials
DrugCoverage.ca
Contact: (416) 421-7833
Population served: Patients in need of assistance with medication expenses
DrugCoverage.ca is dedicated to helping Canadians access reimbursement for prescription medications. It provides information on health insurance plans and programs.
Information about assistance for prescription medications is broken out by:
- Private Insurance/Third Party Insurance
- BC PharmaCare
- Non-Insured Health Benefits Program
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Public Services Health Care Plan
- Interim Federal Health Program
- Correctional Services Canada
Hope Air
Contact: (877) 346-4673
Population served: Patients in need of air transportation for non-emergency medical care outside their home communities
Hope Air helps arrange air flights for patients to receive treatment. It operates two air travel programs:
- Commercial Flights: donated seats from airline partners
- Volunteer Pilot Flights: volunteers flying their own planes
A Child's Voice Foundation
Contact: (888) 837-3354 (Canada) or (905) 275-3434 (outside Canada)
Population served: Financially disadvantaged children age 19 and under with needs related to a medical condition
The Foundation provides help to children through products and services not otherwise provided by government, insurance or other organizations.
- Provides wigs and hair-loss solutions free of charge with the program Angel Hair for Kids
- Provides a salon appointment for a child to have a wig styled
- Provides the program Kids Life Line, which awards a one-time grant to cover additional treatment-related costs such as transportation, food and medicines
The National Children's Cancer Society (NCCS)
Contact: (800) 532-6459
Population served: Cancer patients up to age 21 (must have diagnosed before the age of 18) worldwide
NCCS provides programs and services to improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families.
- Provides financial support, which can include assistance with health insurance premiums, lodging, food, transportation and telephone expenses
- Provides state-specific as well as national scholarships for college
- Provides educational materials
- Provides the Care to Share Cancer Connection internet support network for families to share experiences
- Global Outreach Program distributes donated pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to facilities internationally to treat children free-of-charge
Childhood Cancer Foundation
Contact: (800) 489-9812
Population served: Children with cancer and their families
The Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with cancer and their families by funding research and providing support and resources.
- Provides Family Support Kit with information and support for families of newly diagnosed children
- Provides scholarships for childhood cancer survivors
- Offers a benevolent fund to assist with funeral expenses
- Provides support groups for parents and survivors
- Offers National Teen Network which allows diagnosed teens to get in touch with teen survivors who have experienced a similar type of cancer - parents can also speak to a teen or the teen's parents
- Offers national newsletters and eNews
Make-A-Wish Canada
Contact: (888) 822-9474 (Canada) or (416) 224-9474 (outside Canada)
Population served: Children ages 3 to18 at the time of referral, with a life-threatening medical condition
Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is an affiliate of Make-a-Wish International, grants the wishes of children to enrich the human experience. The applicant may not have received a wish from another wish-granting organization.
- Local chapters throughout the provinces
- The steps for getting a wish include: a referral from the child's parents/guardian, healthcare team or even the child; medical eligibility as determined by the doctor; a visit by the wish team to learn about the child's wish
- Most common wishes fall into four categories; I wish to go, I wish to be, I wish to meet, I wish to have
Wellspring Cancer Support Center
Contact: (877) 499-9904
Population served: Cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals
The Wellspring Cancer Support Center is a network of community-based centers that provide people with the tools they need to cope with cancer.
- Offers one-to-one peer support, support groups, individual counseling, bereavement groups, gay and lesbian support groups and information sessions on coping skills
- Provides programs for patients and caregivers including yoga, discussion series, relaxation and clubs that meet at certain centers (e.g., knitting, quilting or cooking)
- Programs are free of charge and can be found at multiple locations across the country (some centers are more comprehensive than others)
- Provides support programs for healthcare professionals
Cancer Support Community
(Formerly known as Gilda's Club Worldwide)
Contact: (888) 445-3248
Population served: Patients diagnosed with cancer, their friends and families
Cancer Support Community offers an emotional and social support community to people with cancer, their families and friends through a network of affiliated clubhouses.
- Provides support and networking groups
- Offers lectures and workshops on a variety of topics
- Provides social activities such as potluck suppers, comedy nights and holiday celebrations
Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN)
Contact: (866) 994-3276
Population served: Firefighters and their families with cancer
FCSN provides assistance to all fire service members and their families in the event of a cancer diagnosis.
- Maintains a roster of mentors who have personal experience with cancer and who will guide the patient
- Provides assistance, guidance and support including behavioral health services, fire service organizations, fire service chaplains and other cancer support programs
- Offers online member forums and a chat room
- Works with the International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs to find local resources
Hospice Foundation of America (HFA)
Contact: (800) 854-3402
Population served: Patients and caregivers
HFA provides leadership in the development and application of hospice and its philosophy of care with the goal of enhancing the healthcare system and the role of hospice within it.
- Offers a search engine to locate a hospice program
- Provides hospice, end-of-life and grief information including articles, select reading list and links to other organizations
- Provides publications (for a fee)
- Provides Caregivers Corner with tips and links to articles and organizations
- Offers Hospice and Caregiving blog
International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC)
Contact: (866) 374-2472
Population served: Patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals worldwide, with a focus on developing countries
The mission is to improve the quality of life of patients with advanced life-threatening conditions and their families, by advancing hospice and palliative care programs, education, research and favorable policies.
- Provides a global directory of palliative care providers/services/organizations
- Offers language translation services to meet the needs of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals
- Provides a monthly newsletter and a listing of hospice-related books
- Offers a link to IAHPC Manual of Palliative Care; links to publications
- Offers membership through a donation
