“We give children back a part of their childhood that was taken away from them by cancer.”
— Miss Nancy (Morgan’s Mom, Co-Founder, Director and Teacher of THE MORGAN CENTER)
Overview of the Center
Mission
THE MORGAN CENTER is a 501(c)(3) not for profit charitable organization dedicated to providing preschool-age children who are undergoing treatment for cancer the opportunity to interact and socialize, in a safe environment that stimulates cognitive and social development. Children on chemotherapy treatment have a suppressed immune system, and could otherwise risk infection and serious illness by attending typical age-appropriate preschool programs.
Studies have shown that 90 percent of brain development happens during a child's first five years. Moreover, the lack of early childhood socialization and educational opportunities can cause long-term behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Young children battling cancer on chemotherapy treatment can have suppressed immune systems. These children can risk infection and serious illness by attending typical preschool programs. For their own safety, most of these children live in a world of minimal exposures and isolation.
In 2003 THE MORGAN CENTER, a program for preschool-age children with cancer was founded by the parents of a two-year-old cancer patient in New York named Morgan. Morgan suffered through two and a half years of chemotherapy treatment. As with most young children on chemotherapy, Morgan went from home to the hospital and back. Morgan could not go to preschool or play with her friends. For 3 years the only friends that Morgan had to socialize with were the doctors, nurses, social workers, and other young cancer patients she met at the hospital. Morgan's parents realized that although young children with cancer could not attend a typical preschool program; they could interact and socialize with children who also have cancer. They created THE MORGAN CENTER to give young children battling cancer the preschool experiences that their daughter and other children like her had previously been deprived of.
At THE MORGAN CENTER, the children get to socialize, learn, make friends, and have fun! THE MORGAN CENTER provides young children battling cancer and their families a sense of normalcy and a distraction from their treatment and their pain. It gives these young children back a part of their childhood that cancer took away. Ultimately, THE MORGAN CENTER helps to restore children with cancer and the families to their full potential. THE MORGAN CENTER is a 501(c)(3) not for profit charitable organization. Operations are supported entirely by private donations and fundraising at no cost to the families. The Problem Each year it is estimated that over 11,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States.2 These children and their families then proceed through a devastating and arduous, financially burdensome, emotionally exhausting, and socially isolating battle through treatment. Children with cancer have suppressed immune systems due to their lowered white blood cell count from chemotherapy. For this reason, if young children with cancer were to attend a typical preschool, they could risk exposure to life-threatening infections, illnesses, and childhood diseases. While their peers are learning to laugh, play, and make friends in a preschool setting, they cannot, literary adding insult to their injury. The need currently exists for a safe learning environment for thousands of preschool-age children battling cancer in cities across the United States.