Holiday Giving

Holiday Giving

Your support helps families across Ontario

Every day, POGO works with our partners—hospitals, families, survivors, donors, government, nonprofits and others—to champion childhood cancer care. This month, POGO Ambassador Roberta Webster is sharing her family’s childhood cancer journey to encourage donations to POGO’s holiday fundraising campaign that will help provide financial assistance to families with a child in cancer treatment.

Holiday giving - POGO AmbasRoberta Webster's daughter RylaShortly before her first birthday, my daughter Ryla was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Typically, we wouldn’t have made a big fuss, but we knew we had to do something special because it might be the only one we would get to celebrate with her.

Within a few months, Ryla was approved for a clinical trial and continues on that chemotherapy to this day. She is completely blind in her left eye and we are waiting for surgery that will remove the eye and as much of the tumour as they can.

As life shattering as this has been for us over the last 4.5 years, Ryla takes it (mostly) in stride. She is an inquisitive, smart, sassy kid and is always happy to go to the POGO Satellite Clinic at Credit Valley Hospital near our house—she loves the toys, and the staff make her feel like a superstar.

Every year in Ontario there are close to 500 new childhood cancer diagnoses. Many of these families live far from one of Ontario’s five major hospitals with a pediatric cancer program. Your donation to POGO helps provide financial relief to families for things like accommodation, food and babysitting for siblings at home.

On behalf of all the families in 2023 who will hear the words, “Your child has cancer,” I would like to ask you to consider a donation to POGO to help ease the financial burden.

Thank you for your support!
Roberta Webster

There’s no time like now to show your support for children and youth in cancer treatment. Here are a few ways you can champion childhood cancer care:

Donate before December 31st to receive a 2022 charitable tax receipt.